The Road to Hell
by crystal rose2
Summary: Something terrible happens to Usagi and she gets revenge on all who were responsible for her pain. How will this affect the battle against her new enemy and most of all, how will this affect the future? R/R please! Complete!
1. Prologue

PROLOGUE:  
  
"Have you tried Rei's Temple, Kenji?" Ikuko Tsukino asked her husband frantically.  
  
"I told you a thousand times already, they don't have a phone at the temple," a stressed out Kenji practically growled at his wife.  
  
"Well I don't understand where she could be. She said she was going out for about two hours four hours ago! Where could that girl be?" Ikuko cried. Something just didn't feel right to Ikuko. She knew Usagi could be irresponsible at times but she always called home if she was going to stay out this late at night.  
  
"If I find out that she was with that boy all this time…." Muttered Kenji, his fear making him sound more threatening than usual.  
  
Knock knock  
  
Ken and Ikuko both heard the knock on the door and knew deep down that it was bad news concerning their daughter. It was midnight and Usagi had taken her keys when she left. If it were Usagi coming home late, it would be more reasonable for her to try and sneak into the house rather than risk getting grounded for scaring the life out of her parents.  
  
Ikuko opened the door to a police officer. Tears sprang into her eyes at the sight and her fears were confirmed.  
  
"Is this about our daughter, Usagi?" Kenji asked, knowing the answer already and praying to all the gods that were out there that whatever happened to his daughter, that she would be fine.  
  
The officer gazed sadly at the distraught parents. A missing child is a parent's worst nightmare. He had a daughter around Usagi's age and would hate to be her parents right now for the news he would tell them. "Mr. and Mrs. Tsukino, I'm afraid I have some bad news concerning your daughter. Around three hours ago, a passerby found your daughter in an alley. She was taken to the hospital where it was discovered that she had been brutally raped and beaten. The doctors were able to…."  
  
The police officer trailed off for Ikuko had fainted in Kenji's arms. 


	2. Unknown Consequences

CHAPTER 1  
  
Rei's room was abuzz with indignant chatter. The senshi, Mamoru and the cats Luna and Artemis had met at the Temple to discuss their leader's poor performance both as Sailor Moon and Usagi for the past two weeks.  
  
"Usagi-chan has gotten even more irresponsible these past couple of weeks," complained Ami, who usually stuck up for her best friend. "She comes to class even later than usual and takes her seat without even giving an excuse to Haruna-sensei. I don't know where Haruna-sensei has gotten her new found patience with Usa-chan but I want some too!"  
  
"Yeah, she doesn't even have the decency to come up with a good excuse for falling asleep in class anymore. It's a miracle Haruna-sensei hasn't given her detention for the rest of her life!" observed Makoto.  
  
"How about during youma fights? Is it just me or is Odango Atama more lazy and irresponsible? She just stands back and watches until the youma is practically half dead before she dusts it. I say we kick her off the team," Rei huffed.  
  
Mamoru, who had been quiet throughout the entire exchange, chose this moment to speak up. "As much as it pains me to say it, Rei, I think you're right. I was hoping that Usako would finally be getting more serious about her duties not just as Sailor Moon but also as the future queen of Crystal Tokyo. I think telling her to back down from her senshi duties is just the right thing to scare her into accepting her responsibility."  
  
"Yeah but just telling her she isn't part of the team isn't enough. We all know that she would promise us that she would change for the better but then revert to her old behaviour within a few weeks," Minako said.  
  
"It's too bad there isn't a way to take away her powers as Sailor Moon. That way, Usa-chan won't have a say in it. She'll be off the team like it or not," pondered Rei.  
  
"Actually Rei, there is. As the Advisor to the Moon Princess, I have every right to revoke her senshi powers in the name of discipline. The only thing is, once I strip her of her powers, it's irreversible. Don't get me wrong; she'll still be the Moon Princess, it's just that Sailor Moon will cease to exist," explained Luna, who had just about enough of her charge's antics.  
  
"Now wait a minute, everyone. Don't you guys think we should talk to Usagi about this before we make such a decision regarding her life?" Artemis broke in. "Who are we to talk about taking away her powers? Don't forget, you're not just talking about Sailor Moon, you're also talking about your princess and future queen."  
  
"Oh Artemis, don't be such a worrywart. I'm sure she'll be mad at us for a while but in the end, she'll see things in our point of view," said Luna.  
  
"Yeah Artemis. She never wanted to be a senshi, much less the leader, in the first place," reasoned Minako.  
  
"She was never that great of a leader anyway. She always ran away from the youma more than fought it," said Rei.  
  
"Usagi-chan has always been a great friend to me, and that's what makes this decision so hard. I don't think she has the mental capacity to be the leader," Ami said as gently as possible in the hopes of relieving her guilty conscience for talking about her first friend in that manner.  
  
"Yeah, Usa-chan is and always be a great friend but that's not what we're talking about. We're here to discuss her leadership capabilities and I don't think she has any. I mean, let's face it. We all know that Usa- chan is the worst fighter on the team," Makoto said, feeling slightly smug in the fact that she was the strongest out of all her fellow senshi.  
  
Mamoru thought for a second before he spoke. "If she's not fighting anymore, we'll be able to protect our princess from harm during the fights. She'll be able to focus more on her studies and her duties as the future queen."  
  
"That's right Mamoru, we'll be doing her a favour," agreed Luna.  
  
"If you guys think I'll be a party to this, you can forget it. I can't believe you would seriously consider taking away Usa-chan's powers without even letting her have a chance to defend herself. I'm out of here," spat Artemis, leaping out of Rei's window.  
  
"So you all are agreed on this? We take away her powers?" Luna asked as she looked at the people in front of her. When they all nodded, she closed her eyes and her moon crescent began to glow. Luna uttered a few Lunarian words, then collapsed with a sigh. "It is done," she whispered before falling asleep.  
  
The others looked at each other solemnly before agreeing to tell Usagi about the latest development at a senshi meeting the next day after school. They all parted ways, each reassuring themselves that they all had the best of intentions for Usagi.  
  
AT THE SAME TIME IN ANOTHER PART OF TOWN  
  
"Oh Kami, what am I going to tell Mamoru?" Usagi asked herself. "Oh Mamo-chan, remember that night about six weeks ago when we finally made love for the first time? Well, I now have a rather permanent souvenir. It should be here in about eight months." Usagi laughed a little before patting her stomach.  
  
She was so busy rehearsing her lines that she didn't notice someone following her until she felt herself being roughly pulled into an alley. Instincts took over as she kicked and fought her way free from her attacker, taking refuge behind a dumpster.  
  
"Attack me will you? We'll see about this. Moon Cosmic Power," whispered Usagi. As she had countless times, Usagi felt the magic of her transformation flow through her body. Just as the transformation was nearing completion, however, it reversed. Her fuku dissolved into ribbons before finally reverting to her street clothes. "Kami-sama, what happened?"  
  
Unfortunately, Usagi didn't have much time to think about her failed transformation for her attacker had found her. "Bitch, that's the last time you run away from me," he growled menacingly before punching her face.  
  
Reeling from the pain, Usagi frantically whispered her transformation phrase repeatedly as the man began to rip her clothes off. As a last ditch effort, she tried her link with Mamoru, but to her horror, couldn't find it. The last thing she remembered before she passed out was the pain of her attacker entering her.  
  
When she woke up hours later, Usagi could see that she was laying on a hospital bed. She could see over by the door that her parents were talking to some police officers. 'Are they talking about me?' she thought. Suddenly, memories of what had transpired that night surfaced and Usagi choked out a sob.  
  
Hearing Usagi's cry, the adults looked towards her and approached cautiously. The officers introduced themselves and began asking her questions about her attacker.  
  
Usagi described the attack and her attacker, a man with blond hair and brown eyes, as best she could while trying to ignore her mother's sobs. When she was finished, the officers looked at her with pity in their eyes, thanked her then left.  
  
With the officers gone, Kenji and Ikuko looked at each other and nodded. Kenji kissed his daughter on the forehead before leaving the room. Ikuko pulled a chair closer to Usagi's bed and held her hand.  
  
"Mama, what's wrong?" Usagi asked.  
  
Ikuko gazed at the scared creature that was her daughter and thought that 16-year-old girls should never go through what Usagi had just experienced. No one should.  
  
"Well honey, it isn't easy for me to say this but because of the severity of the attack, you lost your baby. The doctors say that because of the damage done to that area, it is highly improbable that you will ever have children again."  
  
Usagi stared at her mother for a minute before the chilling reality of her words sank in. She screamed until doctors and nurses were able to restrain and sedate her. 


	3. Repercussions

Sadly, I don't own Sailor Moon. If I did, I would be rolling around in piles of cash with the Moon Scepter in one hand and Darien in the other. But alas, I'm not that fortunate. I hope you all are enjoying this story cuz to tell you the truth; this is the first fic I've ever written. So please read and review, but be gentle.  
  
By the way, the senshi are 16 yrs old and Mamoru is 20. This story is set after Galaxia but since I haven't watched any of those episodes and I don't really know what happened in that season, I will probably just ignore the entire season altogether.  
  
School had started at Juuban High and all the students were dutifully seated in their desks waiting for class to start. In a certain class, however, two people were missing. One was the regularly tardy Tsukino Usagi, and the other; surprisingly enough was the teacher, Haruna-sensei. Oddly enough, Haruna-sensei had been Usagi, Ami, and Makoto's teacher at Juuban Junior High School. Usagi had been much dismayed at finding her former taskmaster working at her new school and was nothing short of distraught when she found out that she would be her teacher again.  
  
"Hey Ami, who do you think will make it to class first, Usagi or Haruna-sensei?" whispered Makoto from her seat.  
  
"Well for Usa-chan's sake I hope it's her. I don't think Haruna- sensei will take much more tardiness from Usagi. Hey, you don't suppose Usa-chan found out about what we did last night and is now ignoring us, do you," asked Ami.  
  
"I don't think so. She probably overslept as usual," reasoned Makoto.  
  
At that moment, Haruna-sensei burst through the door, startling everyone in attendance. Ami and Makoto exchanged glances that plainly read, 'Usa-chan's in for another detention.'  
  
"Class, may I have your attention? I regret to inform you that your fellow student, Tsukino Usagi, will not be attending class for a while due to an unfortunate…" here Haruna-sensei paused as if searching for the right words. "Incident. Her family would appreciate your prayers for Usagi's well-being at this difficult time."  
  
A low buzz of chatter swept through the room as each student speculated the meaning behind their teacher's words. Ami and Makoto, however, ignored them and held their own private conference.  
  
"Kami-sama, what do you think happened?" Makoto asked, wondering what tragedy had befallen their friend.  
  
"I don't know Mako-chan. Do you think that maybe Luna's spell had a side effect on Usa-chan?" questioned Ami.  
  
"Alright class. I'm sure Usagi-chan will appreciate your concern for her but for right now, why don't you all find something to read for the next half hour. I don't want to hear any more chatter right now, just the rustling pages of books being opened and read," Haruna-sensei said as she practically collapsed in her chair. Makoto and Ami shifted uneasily, both silently thinking that they will get to the bottom of their teacher's mysterious behaviour regarding their friend as soon as lunch rolled around. Every so often, Ami would look up from the medical textbook she was pretending to read and glance at her teacher's face. Ms. Haruna was gazing sadly at Usagi's empty desk and get teary eyed. If confronted about it, Ms. Haruna would vehemently deny the fact that she considered Usagi as her favourite student, but the truth is, she did. She and Usagi had bonded in the six months prior to the high school entrance exams when she would tutor the underachiever after school during detentions. Ms. Haruna was filled with pride when Usagi thanked her for all the help she gave her in order to pass junior high. Their tumultuous relationship in the classroom had been merely to keep up the status quo. In reality, both women respected and admired each other very much. It might even be safe to say that they were friends.  
  
Then, a few weeks ago, Usagi had tearfully confessed to her that she was one month pregnant during a detention/tutoring session. Ms. Haruna comforted the sobbing girl and advised her to tell her boyfriend and parents as soon as possible. She was well aware of the other students thinking that she was fed up with lecturing Usagi every time she was late or fell asleep in class, but in reality, she pitied her. Usagi worked very hard to get to where she was today and to have it all taken away by some monster that raped her in an alley causing her to lose her child was just devastating. She wondered if Usagi would ever be the same again.  
  
By the time the lunch bell rang, Ms. Haruna had composed herself well enough to teach the students some algebra and geometry. As she watched the students file out of class, she noticed Ami and Makoto lingering in the back of the class.  
  
"Girls, didn't you hear the bell?" Ms. Haruna asked. She knew that these girls were friends with Usagi and were probably hanging around to find out about her. She wasn't disappointed.  
  
"Haruna-sensei, what happened to Usagi-chan? Did she get sick or something?" Makoto asked bluntly.  
  
Ms. Haruna sighed. She hated delivering bad news to people especially news of this nature. "Well girls, she was out late last night walking when she was attacked-"  
  
"Oh Kami! Is she okay?" interrupted Makoto.  
  
"I'm afraid not. She managed to fight off her attacker but he found her hiding behind a dumpster, beat her and then raped her," Ms. Haruna said.  
  
"Kami-sama…we have to tell the others. Mamoru! He has to know what happened. What hospital did you say she was in, Haruna-sensei?" asked Ami.  
  
"She's in Tokyo General but I don't think now is the time…" she trailed off for the girls were already out the door.  
  
Once in the hallway, Makoto flipped open her communicator and called Minako and Rei. "Mina-chan, Rei-chan, there's an emergency! Meet us at the park in front of the fountain on the double!"  
  
"Is it a youma?" Rei asked.  
  
"I'm in the middle of class right now, Mako-chan. I don't think sensei would approve of me just leaving class to go to the park. I'm in enough trouble already for having my "pager" go off in the middle of-" Mina was interrupted by Ami who was busy trying to get a fix on Mamoru in his university with her computer.  
  
"Get your asses to the park now! Something happened to Usagi and it's completely our fault! Meet us at the park in ten minutes, you got that? We still have to tell Mamoru what happened."  
  
Rei and Mina were scared into submission. Both agreed to be at the park in less than ten minutes. When they got the meeting spot, they found Ami typing on her computer diligently while Makoto was beating the stuffing out of a cherry tree.  
  
"Hey Mako, go easy on the tree. What'd it do, hit on you or something?" Minako joked.  
  
Makoto turned around and looked like she was about to kill the first person she saw which happened to be poor Minako.  
  
"Yeah, what is this all about? I have to be back at school soon. What did that silly Odango Atama get into this time?" huffed Rei.  
  
"That silly Odango Atama was beaten and raped last night, Rei. So I suggest you check the attitude and be quiet while Ami-chan tries to figure out where the hell Mamoru-san is," growled Makoto, her guilt eating away at her.  
  
Shocked by Makoto's revelation, Rei sank to the ground while Minako walked unsteadily to a bench. 'Usagi-chan was raped last night? Oh Kami, it's all our fault! If we hadn't taken away her powers last night, she would have been able to fight back as Sailor Moon. Who are you kidding? It's all your fault, Rei. You started it by calling the secret meeting without her, then voting her out of the team, then suggesting that Luna take away her powers. It's all your fault…'  
  
"Rei, snap out of it! Stop screaming, we have to tell Mamoru what happened to Usagi-chan," Rei didn't even realize that she was crying hysterically until she felt Ami shaking her firmly but gently by the shoulders to get her attention. Rei felt herself being pulled up and dragged off by the others. When she finally came out of her self-deprecating state, she realized she was standing outside K.O. University, Mamoru's school. Ami led them through the various hallways until she stopped outside the doors leading to a lecture hall where there was a session obviously going on inside.  
  
"What do we do now, guys? We can't just interrupt the lecture; everyone will see us," whispered Ami anxiously.  
  
"The hell we can't," Makoto said as she burst through the doors with a bang. "Mamoru!"  
  
The professor and all the students paused in their lecture, shocked. "Um, excuse me miss, but as you can see, there's a lesson going on-"  
  
"Mamoru, get down here now!" Mamoru didn't need to be told twice for the second he saw Makoto in the doorway with the other girls behind her, he got a sinking feeling that something was terribly wrong with Usagi. Muttering a thousand apologies to his professor and classmates, Mamoru dashed out the door. The lecture theatre was silent as each person tried to figure out what just happened. Was that flustered, worried young man really Chiba Mamoru, known throughout the campus for his level head and cool demeanor? All speculation stopped however, when they heard Mamoru's cry of anguish pierce through the air: "NOOO! USAKO!"  
  
So what do you guys think? Good, bad, so-so? Please stay tuned for the next chapter, which will probably be out sometime today if I feel up to it. Goodbye for now! 


	4. Vengeance

Hey everyone, it's me again, crystal rose. I hope you all are enjoying my fic and I know that the whole Usagi gets raped, the senshi kicked her out bit is getting old but I promise you that I'll try to put a twist on things in the next few chapters so that my fic will have a semblance of originality in it. I hope. And for those of you who are worried that Rei will replace Usagi as Mamoru's next love, you can forget it. Rei will never in a million years get her hands on my man…er, Usagi's man. Heh heh. So please keep the reviews coming but remember, I bruise easy so please be gentle!  
  
By the way, if any of you have read a story by Silent Moon called So Strange That You are My Lover, please tell me what website it's on. It's about Serena going behind her husband Allan's back and having an affair with Darien. It's a really good story so far but I stupidly forgot to record the page I found it on. So, if you know where this story's at, please hook me up.  
  
By the way, Sailor Moon isn't mine. So if you're planning on suing an unemployed, slacker bitch like me, I'm afraid you won't get much.  
  
And now….on with the story!  
  
After making a quick stop at the temple to pick up Luna, the group arrived at the hospital and with a little help from Ami's handy dandy computer, they were able to determine that Serena was in room 406. Stuffing Luna in Ami's bag, they quickly made their way to the fourth floor. Just as they were about to open Serena's door, a hand reached out and stopped them.  
  
"Just where do you think you're going?" the voice belonging to the hand asked Mamoru who was in the process of turning the doorknob. He and the girls turned around and found themselves face to face with a stern looking police officer.  
  
"Oh, good afternoon officer. My name is Chiba Mamoru and I just heard about what happened to my girlfriend. I rushed right over as soon as I heard. Have you found the bastard who did this to her yet?"  
  
"Well, that depends. Where were you last night?" the cop questioned, looking Mamoru up and down.  
  
"What? I was with these girls pretty much the whole evening. Wait a minute. Why do you want to know?"  
  
"Well it seems that Usagi-san was out last night heading to your apartment but never made it. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?" the cop narrowed his eyes at Mamoru.  
  
Meanwhile, Mamoru was just beginning to catch on to the officer's line of questioning. "Of course not! I would never harm Usako in any way. I love her with all my heart."  
  
"Riiiight. So what were you doing with four girls all night?"  
  
"It's true, officer. He was with us at the Hiwaka Jinga all night. My grandfather and Kumada Yuuichiro could verify that fact because they saw everyone leaving the temple at quarter after midnight," Rei butted in.  
  
"That doesn't explain what you were doing there."  
  
"I don't really believe that's any of your business, officer. Why don't you check with my friend's grandfather and Kumada-san if you don't believe me?" Mamoru challenged.  
  
"You can be sure I will, Chiba-san. But if I were you, I would be getting my story straight-"  
  
"Sato-san! Why don't you just let these poor kids see their friend. I'm sure the poor girl would love to see them right now, especially her boyfriend. Besides, Chiba-san here doesn't match the description of her rapist," another officer interrupted, smiling kindly at Mamoru and the girls. With a defeated sigh, Officer Sato glared at Mamoru before turning on his heels and walking down the corridor, his shoes making squeaking sounds on the sterile floor. "Don't mind him, kids. He just wants to get this bastard who did this to her. Now, when you go inside, try not to let her appearance shock you too much. She really took a beating and she doesn't look too good right now. Try to keep your visit short; she's still fragile, physically and emotionally. Just remember that her physical scars will eventually heal but her emotional ones will take a while longer. Support her through this difficult time." And with that bit of advice, the kind officer patted Mamoru on the shoulder and stepped aside to let them through the door.  
  
Mamoru gave the officer a grateful look before steeling himself for what lay ahead beyond the door. Stepping inside, he saw Usagi laying in the bed, facing away from him, gazing out the window while making slow circles on her abdomen. She seemed to be saying "I'm sorry" over and over, chanting it like a mantra. Mamoru drew a shaky breath and said, "Usako?"  
  
Usagi snapped out of her reverie and turned towards the sound of Mamoru's voice. Despite the officer's warning about her appearance, Mamoru and the girls couldn't help but gasp at the ghastly sight in front of them. Usagi's right eye was almost swollen shut, her upper lip was split and multiple cuts and bruises tainted the parts of her body that her thin hospital gown didn't cover. Mamoru felt tears prick his eyes and by the sniffles he heard from the girls behind him, he guessed that they felt the same.  
  
"Mamo-chan?" was Usagi's shaky question.  
  
"Oh Usako. I'm so sorry I wasn't there to protect you. I should have stopped it…I should have been there…" Mamoru whispered, not knowing what else to say.  
  
"Mamo-chan, it wasn't your fault. You couldn't have known this was going to happen to me. It was horrible, Mamo-chan. I was on my way to your apartment when I felt someone grab me. I managed to fight him off and hide. I transformed but just when it was almost finished, the transformation reversed. Do you guys know what happened? Do you think the enemy found out my true identity and found a way to stop me from transforming?" Usagi asked the senshi. The girls squirmed guiltily but Usagi didn't notice it.  
  
Before anyone could confess to what they did, Rei said, "no Usa-chan. We don't know what happened." The other girls, Mamoru and even Luna, who was still hidden in the depths of Ami's bag opened their mouths in silent protest. Rei glared at them before looking at the floor.  
  
"Well, if the enemy did find out who I was, chances are they know yours as well. I want you guys to promise to be careful and watch your families," continued Usagi looking out the window once again before breaking out into sobs. "I feel so dirty right now. I'm sorry Mamo-chan, I understand if you hate me right now."  
  
"No Usako, I could never hate you. If anything, you should hate me, this is all my fault." The real meaning behind Mamoru's words was totally lost on Usagi.  
  
"Don't you see? I didn't even try to fight him off after I found out I couldn't transform! I let him do these horrible things to me and worse of all, I let him kill something precious that we created." With that, Usagi broke down into heart-wrenching sobs.  
  
The girls, understanding the meaning of Usagi's last statement gasped. Mamoru turned to them and pleaded silently for them to give Usagi and himself some privacy. The girls nodded in understanding and left the room single file, closing the door softly behind them. When the girls were gone, Mamoru turned his attention back to his girlfriend and asked softly, "Usako, what did you mean by that?"  
  
Usagi cried a few more minutes before turning around to face Mamoru, who had tears in his eyes. "Mamo-chan, the reason I was going to your apartment last night was so that I could tell you I was six weeks pregnant. I've known for two weeks but I just couldn't find the right way to tell you. That's why I've been taking it easy during the youma battles. I didn't know what the effects of being Sailor Moon and using the crystal while I was pregnant would be so I didn't use it unless I absolutely had to. But now, our baby is gone and it's all my fault. I shouldn't have been out so late at night but I couldn't keep this secret from you anymore. Kami, I'm so stupid."  
  
Mamoru cursed himself mentally while a few tears slipped from his eyes. 'I shouldn't have doubted her. I should have asked her what was bothering her instead of just assuming she was shirking her responsibilities.'  
  
While Mamoru was busily berating himself, he didn't notice Usagi gazing up at him, waiting anxiously for any kind of reaction. 'Dammit Usagi. Now you've done it. He hates you for killing his child. Can you blame him? What sane person goes out at that hour without asking for trouble? But that's what you are, Usagi. A walking rescue mission. Always expecting someone to bail you out of trouble.' Usagi reached up to touch his hand. "I'm sorry, Mamo-chan. I'm sorry for killing our child."  
  
Mamoru's heart broke at her statement. 'Oh Usako, you didn't kill our child. I did, with my doubts.' He picked up her small hand and kissed it. "Don't worry, Usako. We can always have more children," he soothed. To his astonishment, Usagi sobbed even harder than before.  
  
"Oh Mamo-chan, I'm so sorry. The…the man w..who raped me ddd…id so much ddda..mmage dddown there that the dddoctors have sssaid I probably won't be aaable to have anymore childddren," she stuttered through her tears. Mamoru felt his heart stop when he finally understood what she said. Numbly, he held her shaking form in his arms and kissed her forehead tenderly, reassuring her that she was the last person in the world to be blamed for the loss of their child. He felt her sobs lessen and saw that she had cried herself to sleep. With a last kiss on her forehead, he eased her body into a more comfortable position on the bed, pulled the thin blanket up to her chin and exited to room.  
  
Outside, he found the senshi drilling Rei as to why she stopped them from telling Usagi the truth. The priestess remained silent through the barrage of questions being hurtled her way before finally bursting out, "because she's still too fragile to handle the fact that her best friends betrayed her! You happy? We'll tell her when she's more emotionally stable."  
  
Feeling the need to lash out at somebody to ease his guilt, Mamoru marched right up to Rei. "You bitch. It's your fault she's in there in the first place. Because of you, Usako was raped and lost our child. Did you hear that, you power-hungry bitch? She wasn't being irresponsible during battles. Far from it. She wanted to protect the baby from any harmful side effects using the crystal may have. And because that no-good son of a bitch raped her, she can't have anymore children!"  
  
The senshi were stunned speechless. Then Rei, who was never one to let anybody insult her in such a manner, especially when that person was right, spat out, "oh yeah, Mamoru-SAN? I didn't see you sticking up for Usagi either. As far as I'm concerned, you're as much to blame as I am. Maybe even more so! You are her soul mate, you should have known she was pregnant! So don't lay all of the blame on me cuz you went along with everything that was said by everybody, not just me!"  
  
"Damn you, Rei. I've always known you wanted to be leader but I never thought you could ever do this-" Mamoru bit out but was interrupted by Minako, "SHUT UP, BOTH OF YOU! We're all equally to blame for this. We shouldn't have doubted Usagi-chan. But turning on each other now when she needs us the most is only going to cause more problems, for Usagi and us."  
  
"She's right, minna. Besides, if there's anyone to blame, it's me," Luna said, staring shamefacedly at the floor. For a while, no one said anything, empathizing with the guilt-ridden feline advisor. "I should have known what she was going through. For Kami's sake, I live with her! I spend almost every part of my day with her. Queen Serenity entrusted the guardianship of her daughter to me and what did I do? Take away the legacy her mother left her so that she may continue to protect those she loved! Well who protected her from us? Or that bastard who did this to her?" Luna's questions were left unanswered as they all pondered what she said.  
  
"Rei, I'm sorry I yelled at you. I just lashed out at the first person I happened to see. Truce?" Rei looked at Mamoru's outstretched hand before she shook it gruffly. Despite the friendly picture Rei and Mamoru made, both knew that their friendship would never be the same again.  
  
4 days later:  
  
Usagi had been released from the hospital the day before and was now at home resting. Her wounds were healing quickly due to the healing powers of the Silver Crystal. Thank goodness she at least still had control over that. Her right eye was no longer swollen although there was still some bruising around that area. Her cuts have developed scabs and the bruises on her face and arms have started to fade. But there was nothing she could to about the damage done to her reproductive system. 'I wonder what everyone is doing right now. The girls must be out of school by now, Mamo- chan too. I feel terrible every time I see their faces. I know they feel guilty for letting this happen to me. I wish I could tell them that what happened to me wasn't their fault. They're not responsible for me twenty- four hours a day.'  
  
Making up her mind to soothe her friends and boyfriend's guilty consciences, she managed to convince her mom to drive her to Rei's temple. Although Ikuko was hesitant about letting her daughter out into the evil world again so soon after what happened to her, she knew that Usagi valued the companionship of her friends and love. 'Perhaps letting her see them again would help her recover faster. Besides, it's only the temple and I am going to drive her there and pick her up.'  
  
Usagi waved to her mom who was sitting in the car from the temple steps. 'Finally, I hope everyone's here.' She made her way through the empty temple grounds and walked up to the part of the building that was Rei's room. Pausing outside the slightly opened door, Usagi wondered whether she should knock when she thought she heard Mamoru's voice. Curious as to what he was doing in Rei's room, she peered inside through the crack in the door and discovered all of her friends sitting around Rei's room.  
  
"When are we going to tell her that we were responsible for taking away her powers?" Mamoru asked. Usagi had to bite her lip to keep from gasping out loud. 'WHAT? Did I hear him right? I can't believe they were to ones who…' Usagi lost her train of thought as she heard Luna answer.  
  
"I don't know, Mamoru. She just came home yesterday. Let's give her some more time to recover before we tell her what we did."  
  
"I for one, solemnly wish we could turn back time and never have done it in the first place," Rei lamented. "Maybe we shouldn't tell her. If we tell her, she might end up hurting herself more."  
  
"Hell no, Rei. I've listened to you far too much and look where that's gotten us. I'm telling Usako as soon as she's emotionally stable to hear it."  
  
"Is this what you meant by calling a truce? Some future King of Crystal Tokyo you're gonna turn out to be," sneered Rei.  
  
"Rei, Mamoru's right. We can't keep this a secret from Usagi any longer. It's barely even a week since Usagi-chan was raped and we're already tearing ourselves apart. We have to tell her," reasoned Makoto.  
  
At that point, Usagi couldn't keep her anger and hurt bottled up anymore. 'How dare they take away my powers without consulting me?' With that thought running through her mind, she slid the door open, causing startled gasps from the occupants within. The second they saw Usagi at the door, they all knew that she had heard what had been said and she was furious. Usagi's appearance frightened them even more than when they saw her at the hospital. Her once blue eyes have turned pure black-even the whites were gone-her moon symbol was red and flashing and her hair was flowing wildly behind her despite the fact that she was indoors and there was no breeze. Had they not been so frightened they would have been awe- inspired.  
  
Without a word to anyone, Usagi sent a shockwave towards the group that blasted them to the walls. Taking the opportunity of the senshi, the cats and Mamoru being dazed from the blast, Usagi forced her way into their minds and saw their memories from the night of her rape. She heard every hurtful word they said against her and knew what actions had transpired that led to her powers being torn from her.  
  
"You BASTARDS! I trusted you and you did this to me. You look me in the eye at the hospital and lied to me when I asked if you guys knew what happened to my powers."  
  
"Usagi-chan, I know we were wrong to do that, and Kami knows that we'll regret it for the rest of our lives, but I swear we were gonna tell you-" Rei was interrupted by another blast of energy sent her way by Usagi.  
  
"SILENCE! I did not ask you to speak. I heard everything you said outside, including the fact that you wished to never tell me of what you did. I swear upon my life as the Moon Princess, I will make you suffer for the rest of your lives for what you have cost me." With that, Usagi walked up to Mamoru, and waved her hand in the air. Out of nowhere, a silver dagger appeared in her hand. Seeing this, the senshi immediately started begging Usagi not to take Mamoru's life, even Rei. Mamoru, however, bent his head in quiet acceptance of his fate.  
  
Ignoring the senshi's pleas, Usagi began to chant some ancient Lunarian words and drew the dagger across her own palm. She formed a fist and squeezed the blood, letting the red liquid fall to the floor. Everyone watched in morbid fascination as the blood stopped in mid air and formed a silver chord that spanned from Usagi's heart to Mamoru's. With great deliberation, Usagi jerked Mamoru's head so that he faced her and looked into his eyes. What she saw was regret and sorrow, emotions that were mirrored in her own. Then, without warning, she took the dagger and slashed through the chord, effectively breaking their soul bond forever. Mamoru cried out in pain, both physical and emotional while Usagi didn't even flinch.  
  
After a few seconds, she turned toward the senshi , and waved her hand causing their henshin pens to appear. With another blast of energy, she destroyed the pens and said, "I don't think you knew what you were up against when you decided to cross me. I curse you all with eternal life, so that you may feel a bit of the pain that you have bestowed upon me. Don't think that killing yourselves will release you from my wrath, far from it. I have linked all your souls together, including Mamoru and Luna's, so that if one feels pain, everyone feels pain. If one of you tries to commit suicide, you will come back to life within minutes of your heart stopping. Furthermore, you will never have true love. You will always be alone in each other's company.  
  
"As for you, Luna, you can forget about coming back into my life. As Princess of the Moon, I forever banish you from my services and home, on earth and the moon. Your name will be stricken from the histories of the Silver Millennium. Be grateful banishment is the only punishment you have gotten.  
  
"I have taken away from you everything you have taken away from me. I have taken your powers, dignity and future. Do not think that you have tasted all of my wrath for I can assure you, there is plenty more. I could kill you all everyday for a thousand years and still you would not know even a quarter of the pain your betrayal caused me. You all might as well have been the ones who raped me and killed my child. Artemis, let's go."  
  
And with a brilliant flash of light, she and Artemis teleported right out of Rei's room and out of their lives.  
  
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So, what do you think? Stay tuned for the next chapter, k? 


	5. Plans of Attack

Hey minna-chan! I'm back with another update as promised. I just cannot stop writing this story. The ideas are just gushing out and I'm really pleased that you all seem to like it. In fact, the reason I'm so excited about getting these chapters out is because I've figured out a way for Crystal Tokyo to come about despite Usagi's problems conceiving a child. I hope you guys are just as psyched as I am. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Crystal Tokyo is a few millennia away, and who knows, it may take that long for the next few chapters to come out. Just kidding, readers. I wouldn't leave you hanging like that.  
  
Well, just if you read the last chapter's A.N., you would know that I'm begging anyone who knows the website where the fic "So Strange That You Are My Lover" by Silent Moon is, to tell me. Pretty please tell me where this story is!!! I'm going crazy trying to remember where I read it. Oh yeah, SM isn't mine.  
  
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6 months later:  
  
Usagi was walking down the street heading to the Crown Arcade to pay a visit to one of three few males left in the world she trusted, Furuhata Motoki, the other two being her father and by default, Shingo, her brother. So much has happened in the past six months since she had stopped speaking to her former senshi and boyfriend. She had had to interrupt Michiru's world tour in order to call the Outer senshi back to Tokyo to take over where the Inners left off. Not that the Outers minded being called back home, mind you. They would gladly do anything for their princess and almost turned all of Tokyo inside out searching for Mamoru, the Inners and Luna in order to bust a cap in all their asses before Usagi assured them that they have been taken care of. In fact, the former Inners actually had the nerve to approach Usagi two weeks after her display of power to beg her for forgiveness.  
  
Flashback  
  
Usagi had been sitting in the park by herself, trying to forget all of the events of the past few weeks when she felt people approaching her. Instantly her defenses went up and her muscles tensed, readying herself for a potential attack. She whirled around and was a fraction of an inch from swiping Ami's nose off her face. 'Damn, just a little bit more and Ami would need a nose job,' thought Usagi. Sorely tempted to continue her fist's trajectory towards Ami's face, Usagi visibly forced herself to reign in and growled, "what do you traitors want." The tone of her voice made it clear this wasn't a question.  
  
"Usa-chan, we know that you're upset about finding out what we did but please know that we now see the error of our ways and we certainly had the best of intentions for doing it," Ami faltered at Usagi's eyebrow raised in scorn.  
  
"Yeah Usagi-chan, please forgive us. We've been through so much together to just let it end like this," pleaded Makoto.  
  
When Usagi still said nothing, Rei thought it was time to change strategy in order to get a reaction out of her. "Yeah Odango. Just get over it already. We already apologized, what more do you want?" The other girls winced at Rei's words, cursing her for her poor choice of words.  
  
Before Rei or anyone else knew what was happening. Usagi whipped out the switchblade she now kept with her at all times, grabbed the unsuspecting priestess in a headlock and raked the knife across her neck. Rei crumpled to the ground, dead before she hit it, her blood gushing out of the wound in her neck that stretched from ear to ear. Immediately, the girls, Mamoru-who was at his apartment sinking deeper into his depression, and Luna, who was now staying with Ami, felt a burning sensation in their throats. Although none had the wound that Rei had, they all instinctively put their hands up to their necks in an attempt to stop the blood they felt was pouring out. Usagi didn't say a word as the other girls coughed and gagged, trying to rid themselves of the feeling of having their tracheas sliced open when in all actuality, they weren't. True to her word, Rei's eyes fluttered open, cheating death despite the wound (which had now closed up resulting in an ugly looking scar that would force Rei to wear turtlenecks and scarves for the rest of her long life) that medical experts, had they been there, would deem fatal. Usagi waited until Rei came to her senses before seething, "what more do I want, you ask? Give me back the dignity I had before I was raped in that alley. Give me back the powers that would help me fight to protect your sorry asses and all the rest of the fucking people in this world who couldn't give a damn what the Dark Kingdom is up to, just as long as they're chowing down their Big Macs and washing it down with their Cokes. Give me back my trust in you and most especially in Mamoru. Give me back my child or the hope of having any more children. If you can give me back just one of those things which you have robbed me of, then I will forgive you, but until then, stay out of my sight. By the way, it's Hime-sama now. You no longer have the privilege of addressing me in such an intimate manner."  
  
From then on, they all avoided her like the plague.  
  
End flashback  
  
Three weeks after the rape, the trail had gone cold as to catching Usagi's attacker. Finally fed up, Usagi set out to capture the rapist herself. What she didn't tell anybody was that Lunarians of noble birth became bonded to anyone they had had sexual relations with, which included rape. It was a way of ensuring fidelity between the ruling monarchs, and in the unfortunate case of a member of the royal family being raped, the swift capture of the offender. So in other words, Usagi had known the whereabouts of her rapist the whole time. She had only thought of giving the Tokyo police department the benefit of the doubt and letting them capture Sakai Haru, her rapist. But after countless false leads and Usagi's patience wearing thin, she finally decided to take matters in her own hands and deliver the bastard to the literally clueless police officers herself.  
  
One night when she was sure everyone was asleep, Usagi crept out her window, gracefully avoiding Artemis who now occupied Luna's former spot at the foot of her bed. She made her way to the bad part of town and proceeded to enter a run-down building where society's rejects resided. Following her instincts, she entered Haru's apartment and found him about to inject a needle, undoubtedly full of an illegal substance, into his arm.  
  
Before he could react, Usagi had transported both of them to an area of negative space that no one had access to but her. Time flowed more swiftly in this area than in reality, so she was able to torture him off and on for the better part of a hundred negative space years (which was the equivalent ten earth days) before cutting off his penis and forcing him to eat it, a process which took five earth days to accomplish, or fifty negative space years. She then deposited him on the doorstep of the Tokyo Police Department precinct where he gladly confessed to all his crimes, including the rapes of 32 other people, 12 of which were little boys and girls under the age of 10. He was immediately sentenced to death and was now roasting in Hell where he belonged. Usagi was sure of that for she went down there and checked it for herself.  
  
Once her vengeance on her rapist was complete, she returned to the task of tormenting her traitors, the former Inner senshi. Getting revenge on them took more cunning on her part for it was their pride that made them turn on her, so it would have to be their pride that would bring about their downfall.  
  
Usagi studied like the demon she felt herself becoming in order to catch up to, and exceed Ami in school. She even managed to beat Ami and win some academic awards, which she promptly rubbed in Ami's face. Ami had dark circles under her eyes from all her late night study sessions while Usagi looked bright and fresh each day. What was Usagi's secret, you ask? Why, she simply did her homework and studied for her tests in the negative space, giving her more than ample time to learn her lessons.  
  
She enrolled in cooking classes at a prestigious cooking school, using her teleportation powers to get her to France, where the school was located, and back to Tokyo without anybody missing her. When she found out that Makoto had signed up for a citywide cooking contest, Usagi made sure to sign up too. Again using the negative space as a "practice kitchen", Usagi worked feverishly to perfect her recipes. By the time of the contest, Usagi could hold her own in the kitchens of the world's best chefs. The judges pronounced her entry as the best beef stroganoff in the city, with Makoto coming in a distant second. Makoto was stunned beyond belief and to this day has not been able to approach her stove without feeling a sense of trepidation.  
  
Minako's defeat was a little easier to plan. She knew Minako's forte was volleyball and so, she practiced in her negative space. She now came to the negative space so often to plan her revenge on all those who hurt her that she has taken to calling it "The War Room." With Usagi's newfound skills on the volleyball court, she was able to rise in the ranks of her school's team to lead them to victory in the city finals, crushing Minako's team 14-7 and ending her school's 10-year winning streak at the championships. Mina was so disgraced that she quit the team, or rather; quit the team before her teammates forced her.  
  
Of all her accomplishments (yes, she considered her acts of revenge as accomplishments for even though she used magic to help her achieve them, in the end, it was her sweat and determination that helped her achieve her goals) her proudest one was single handedly planning and leading an attack on the remaining Dark Kingdom youma and the generals who led them. She allowed the Outers, Setsuna, Michiru, Haruka and Hotaru access to the War Room, which they used to train for the upcoming attack. When the day of the attack came, the few remaining occupants of the Dark Kingdom didn't suspect a thing. Because Luna's spell was irreversible, Usagi was forced to fight as Serenity. It wasn't easy sneaking around the Dark Kingdom in a blindingly white dress but she managed to do it. The three generals didn't see her coming when her sword sliced their heads off and Rei and Luna certainly weren't expecting those heads to show up in a gigantic gift wrapped box outside her bedroom door. Rei's hair turned pure white from the shock which, coupled with her scar, gave her a grotesque appearance. Since then, Rei has been stocking up on hair dye to cover her permanently white hair. Luna's revenge came in the form of promoting Artemis to her former position, the ultimate humiliation as far as the cat was concerned.  
  
Although Usagi knew her heart was turning to ice, she couldn't bring herself to punish Mamoru any more than she already had, for out of all of them, only he was the one who was able to share in her pain of losing a child. That, and the knowledge that he contributed to his child's death, was punishment enough. She would see him everyday walking down the street looking like the empty shell of a man he was before he met Usagi and she could feel whatever was left of her cold heart reach out to him. Before she could act on her feelings of pity however, the voice of reason would always sneer, 'you stupid girl, don't fall for it again. This is the man who broke your heart over and over and you still feel sorry for him? You brought his dead ass back to life how many times and he still had the nerve to question you on how you handled your duties as Sailor Moon. It's because of this deadbeat that we're like this in the first place. He made us like him.' She knew her mind was right, but she also knew that her heart would always belong to him. So it was that she realized she had fallen under her own curse: she would always be alone for she could never love another like she loved, and still loves, Mamoru.  
  
But now it's time to head back to the present. Usagi had just reached her favourite stool at the counter of the Crown Arcade when she felt someone grab her wrist. Whirling around, she saw that it was a guy who attended Mamoru's school but whose name she could not recall, not that she cared.  
  
"Hey baby. What's say you and me get outta this dump and get it on at my apartment down the street?" he asked, his eyes leering all over her body.  
  
Usagi gave him a look that would stop a serial killer cold, but unfortunately for him, he didn't notice. She yanked her arm forcefully out of his grip and went to take her seat.  
  
At this time, Mamoru and the girls had walked into the arcade and witnessed the whole thing. Just when the pest was about to make another move toward Usagi, Mamoru stepped in, barely able to keep his anger in, and was two steps away from kicking this guy's ass into oblivion, when Usagi said, "your help is not needed nor is it wanted here, Chiba-san, although I could have used it months ago."  
  
Mamoru, and the girls who heard it, winced. The pest, thinking Usagi's words and Mamoru's reaction meant that he scored, grabbed Usagi and forcibly kissed her. Mamoru uttered a curse but before he could do anything, Usagi kneed the overly amorous man in the groin. He fell to the ground where Usagi proceeded to kick the crap out of him. All activity in the arcade stopped and watched a girl whose feet could barely reach the floor when she sat on the stools at the counter bring a grown man crying and begging for mercy on the floor. When she was sure that he was good and properly battered, she hauled him by the collar of his torn shirt and tossed him on the street where he barely missed being run over by a car. She walked back into the arcade and was about to resume her activity before she was so rudely interrupted when she heard the one word that made her snap.  
  
"Usako."  
  
Not bothering to look at him, or listen to Minako's cry of "please Usagi, talk to us," Usagi rushed into the employee lounge and locked the door behind her. Motoki watched the entire scene, puzzled as to what had happened between the tight group of friends since he last saw them eight months ago before he left for his trip to visit his fiancée Reika in Africa.  
  
"Why won't she listen to us?" Mina cried before rushing out of the arcade. The rest followed her but not before Motoki heard Ami mutter, "can you blame her?"  
  
Now even more puzzled, Motoki went to the lounge and knocked on the door. Hearing no response, he fished his keys out of his apron pocket and unlocked the door himself. Opening the door, he saw Usagi huddled in the corner, crying her eyes out. Motoki closed the door behind him and gently asked, "Usagi-chan, what's wrong? What happened between you, the girls and Mamoru?" Feeling the need to share her burden with someone she trusted, Usagi told him everything that had happened in the last few months since he was away. Motoki, who already knew about their secret identities (AN: in the manga, Motoki found out the identities of the senshi when they rescued him from an attack at the arcade) was shocked to hear about Usagi's rape and her many losses. Gathering her in his arms, he gently rocked Usagi back and forth in an effort to console her.  
  
Just when Usagi felt she had composed herself, a shark knock was heard. "Neko-chan, you in there? I heard some idiot tried to put the moves on you. Let me in," Haruka said, concern for her friend coming through despite her gruff tone. At Usagi's consent, Haruka barged in the door, only to see her in Motoki's arms with tearstains on her face. Haruka's eyes narrowed dangerously as she stared a suddenly scared Motoki down. Hastily excusing himself, Motoki rushed out of the room. When he was gone, Usagi giggled and asked Haruka why she had to scare Motoki like that when she knew that he would never hurt her.  
  
Haruka smirked and said, "because I can," causing more giggles to come out of Usagi. Haruka reveled in the sound of Usagi's laughter for it came so infrequently now. "Come on, neko-chan, the others are waiting in the arcade. We have a meeting planned back at the mansion, remember?" With that, the two girls walked out of the lounge and met up with Michiru, Setsuna and Hotaru. They all decided to walk back to the mansion by cutting through the park. As they walked, the Outers had unconsciously formed a ring around Usagi with Hotaru merrily skipping ahead of them, Haruka and Michiru on either side of Usagi and Setsuna bringing up the rear. If someone or something threatened their princess, they would have to go through her bodyguards first.  
  
As they approached the fountain, they came across the Inners and Mamoru trying to console a sobbing Mina. Usagi's heart softened at the scene, but flashes of the scene of their betrayal came to mind, hardening her heart once again. The Inners turned and noticed Usagi flanked by the Outers. Unable to keep quiet, Haruka let the Inners know exactly what she thought of them, causing a fight to break out between herself and Makoto. Soon everyone, with the exception of Usagi, Setsuna and Mamoru, was exchanging bitter words about each other.  
  
Turning to Setsuna, Usagi said, "Setsuna-chan, if you could turn back time to before I was raped, I would be most grateful. In fact, I would even allow my rape and their betrayal to occur if I could just keep my child. I would forgive them all for their transgressions if I could just have my baby back."  
  
Hearing this, Mamoru turned away, tears rolling down his face. Setsuna looked into the hopeful eyes of her princess and shook her head sadly. Usagi nodded, for she already knew what the Time Guardian's response would be. Just when Rei was about to slam her fist into Haruka's face, a flash of light came out of nowhere, blinding everyone. Everyone exclaimed in alarm before vanishing into thin air.  
  
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Ooh, cliffhanger. What's going to happen and who sent that flash of light? A new senshi perhaps, or a new evil? Stay tuned and find out what happens next. 


	6. A New Mission

Hey peeps, crystal rose here out with a new chapter. I read the reviews and found some of your theories as to what the light was in the previous chapter interesting. I can't say that they're wrong nor can I say that they're right. Who knows what's going on in this crazy mind o' mine? So, without further adieu, here's chapter 5, A New Mission.  
  
Insert standard disclaimer………….here.  
  
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'Where the hell are we? One minute we're at the park about to start World War III with the Outers, now we're floating around in space,' Makoto thought as she looked around at her surroundings. They were in space all right, but they weren't floating. It was almost as if there was an invisible floor upon which they stood, amid the stars that shone brightly hundreds of light years away.  
  
"If we're where I think we are, we're in a shitload of trouble," Usagi said, almost to herself. The Outers immediately stiffened at her statement and without a word, transformed. As they had done on their way to the park, they once again flanked Usagi, making sure she was in the centre of their ring before focusing their powers in case of an attack, each senshi facing one direction so as not to be caught unawares.  
  
"There's no need for that, senshi. I assure you, we pose no threat to you or your princess," a loud voice boomed. Everyone turned in the direction of the voice and was surprised to find a dais where there was none before. Upon the dais sat two men and one woman in togas with crowns of laurel leaves on their heads. The one who spoke was a rather large, muscular man with a head of flowing curly hair (AN: think King Triton from the Little Mermaid). He sat in the centre of the dais, his throne almost as intimidating as the man himself.  
  
The man to his left was the complete opposite in regards to appearance. He was a small man, a little taller than Usagi but probably weighed about the same. His feet barely reached the invisible floor. Pitiful is what this man looked like in comparison to his companions.  
  
The woman on the right stared at the group impassively. Her light blue eyes gave one the impression that she was blind and her light blond hair was a slicked back version of Haruka's. The metal wrist guards and shin guards made it look like she was on her way to battle.  
  
"You always did like to put on a show, Keeper. Tell me, why did you bring us here?" Usagi asked, addressing the man in the middle.  
  
The man chuckled. "I never could surprise you Serenity, or should I say, Usagi?" Before Usagi could respond, he continued, "I've brought you all here because Oracle, " giving the slight man a smack in the shoulder, which practically sent him flying off his chair. "saw a great evil threatening all way of life."  
  
"Excuse me, sorry to interrupt, but could you please explain to us who you are?" asked Mamoru dryly.  
  
"Pardon my manners, Prince Endymion, for we rarely, if ever, get any visitors. We are called the Universal Council and we look after all creation. The esteemed man you see on my left, your right, goes by the name Oracle. His job is to foresee any major events and determine how it will affect the other dimensions-"  
  
"Dimensions?" interrupted Ami, her ears perking up at the word. "You mean there's other life out there?"  
  
"Not just other life, oh former senshi of Mercury, but other realities of the one you're living. Now if I may please continue?"  
  
Chagrined, Ami nodded her head, her face burning when she saw Usagi's smirk. Inside, her mind was whirling. 'Oh my Kami. Too bad Stephen Hawking isn't here. He would find this most interesting.'  
  
"Now, as I was saying. Oracle's purpose is to foresee all events in each dimension and extrapolate its effects upon the others. Not an easy job and for that, I salute him. The lady on my right is goes by the name Advisor, although 'Enforcer' would be more fitting since she always gets her way." At this, Advisor scowled at the man Usagi had called Keeper, who promptly smiled sheepishly and picked up her hand to kiss it by way of apology. Advisor yanked her hand before his lips could touch it and glared at him. Smiling rakishly, Keeper continued, "oh Addy, must you always play hard to get?" Seeing Usagi roll her eyes, he said, "her role in the Council is to 'advise' those whom Oracle deems responsible for the salvation of their dimension. As for me, some of the smarter, and may I add, prettier of you may have already figured out that my name is Keeper. My responsibility is to keep everything concerning one dimension from having a detrimental effect on the others. Basically, I'm a glorified supervisor. Impressed, ladies?"  
  
Usagi snorted in disgust as she watched Keeper winking at her senshi and former friends, particularly Minako. She had known of Keeper since the Silver Millennium and hated him now because of it. "Cut the crap, Keeper and get to the point before I lose my patience."  
  
"Alright already. Yeesh, I haven't seen a single female in over a millennium other than Advisor over here (not that she's out of the running or anything; she's just too shy to do anything about the primal urges she feels whenever I'm near), and you're sucking the fun right out of it." Seeing every female giving him an icy glare, Keeper sighed, "Oracle, since these lovely ladies and Prince Endymion are looking at me in what I would consider a hostile manner, could you please explain to them what it is that you saw and how it affects not only them, but every dimension in creation?"  
  
Oracle swallowed as he felt all eyes shift in his direction. Thousands of years in total isolation with only the company of an overly flirtatious "supervisor" and a "shy" advisor was enough to damage one's self-confidence permanently. "Well, you-you see, in Dimension 8572, I noticed that before the Sailor Moon in that dimension managed to defeat Queen Beryl, Metallia opened a rift in the fabric separating her dimension from Dimension 8573, thus escaping destruction. Curious, I decided to follow her and discovered that she had joined forces with the Metallia in Dimension 8573. Now joined, they set about destroying that world. Since then, they have jumped from one dimension to the next, assimilating themselves with the Metallias they encountered before conquering and destroying it. Metallia is now a thousand times stronger than the one you encountered, Usagi, and has taken to calling herself Metallion. Last time I checked, she has opened a portal into your dimension and has already infiltrated your society."  
  
"Out of curiosity, which dimension did we come from?" asked Ami.  
  
"Hmmm, let me see, I believe you all came from Dimension 0666," replied Oracle.  
  
"Figures," muttered Usagi. "Let me guess, Orc, you want us to do something about it?"  
  
Oracle clearly not appreciative of his new nickname, scowled. "Precisely."  
  
"And just how are we to accomplish what others have failed?" drawled Haruka.  
  
Advisor leaned forward and studied Haruka carefully before answering. "Because I have finally figured out how it was that Metallion was able to defeat the senshi, despite our intervention. Prince Endymion is the key."  
  
Everyone gasped and turned their accusing eyes to Mamoru, who could do nothing except chuckle nervously and look around as if trying to find another person by the name Endymion. "You see, since earth is the only inhabited planet in your and every other dimension, it is naturally more powerful. Since Endymion is the only surviving heir to the Earth throne, controlling him means controlling the planet. The Beryl of this dimension did not realize Endymion's true potential when she brainwashed him and was not able to take advantage of her situation."  
  
"So why are you telling us this when Beryl and Metallia are already dead? I don't get it," Mamoru interrupted.  
  
Advisor flashed him a look that warned him and the rest of them not to interrupt her or suffer the consequences. "Because, Metallion found out that the Inner senshi and Sailor Moon no longer exist, leaving Prince Endymion unable to transform into one of his other alter egos, Tuxedo Kamen, thereby leaving him defenseless.  
  
"Another key to taking over the universe is destroying the remaining heirs of the Silver Millennium and usurping their planetary powers. Although the princesses of the inner planets and the moon no longer have senshi powers, they still have control of the powers of their respective planets. Take Princess Serenity for example. By tapping into the powers bestowed upon her by the moon, she was able to fight the remaining youma in your world using the Silver Crystal. You too have untapped powers given to you by your planets although to a lesser extent since you do not have a way of channeling the powers by way of a talisman. Your powers are raw and untrained since you mainly relied on your senshi powers and did not know of your inherent planetary powers. If Metallion gets her hands on the former Inners and Prince Endymion and steals their powers, your world will suffer the same fate of the other dimensions that have crossed Metallion's path."  
  
"So what are we supposed to do?" Usagi was already putting two and two together and the conclusion she came up with left her stomach sinking in dismay.  
  
"You and the Outer senshi must protect Endymion and the Inners. They must not leave your sight at any time," answered Keeper.  
  
Although Usagi already knew what he was going to say, she could not help from exploding. "WHAT?! You expect me to protect the very people who betrayed me? Did you not see what they did to my unborn child and me oh all seeing Keeper? And while we're on the subject, how come it took you this long become aware of this Metallion problem? I thought preventing inter-dimensional interaction was your job, Keeper, not mine."  
  
"Hey, you try keeping track of an infinite amount of dimensions and then we'll talk. Whining and complaining to me about the duties you were created to carry out isn't going to save yourself or your world, so I suggest you suck it up and check the attitude at the door."  
  
His words cutting a knife in her heart, Usagi spat out, "of course, Father, why didn't you say so? I am at the universe's disposal despite popular belief that I rule it. After all, I'm just one of the thousands of Princess Serenities you have sired in other dimensions, why should my opinion matter?"  
  
'He's her FATHER?' everyone thought. "Umm, Usagi-chan, what did you mean by that?" Michiru whispered.  
  
"I mean he's my father, although not a very good one. What he didn't tell you was that a part of his duties as Keeper of the Dimensions is to sire a child with enough power to protect the universe in case it is ever needed. Once he finds out that the Queen Serenity of a certain dimension is with child, he leaves for another dimension in order to sire another one, which is why none of you remember him. He never stuck around long enough for you to. He is the epitome of the term 'deadbeat dad.'"  
  
"My child…Usagi, I never meant to imply that you were just a creation whose sole purpose was to be the universal police officer. I was in love with your mother, so much so that I sought her out in every dimension that was in my keeping, and wooed her until she fell in love with me. Alas, it was not meant to be, as my duties as Keeper always took me away from my queen and our child. Each union with Serenity was one filled with love and each princess born of that union has the happy result. It was pure coincidence that your mother happened to be the most powerful woman in the universe and that our child would be destined to hold even more power. Serenity understood my duties and loved me enough to let me go, saying that as long as she you, she had me. It was not easy watching the destruction of my family's home repeatedly and not being able to do anything about it."  
  
'Damn, talk about a player. He's got a virtual harem. He gets to knock up different versions of the same woman and leave them with her consent. No wonder she's so pissed at him,' thought Minako privately. 'Good save though on saying that he loved each Serenity enough to look for her wherever he went.'  
  
Usagi grudgingly accepted her prodigal father's words. "So how are we going to protect them and beat Metallion if I can't transform into Sailor Moon and they can't transform into the senshi or Tuxedo Kamen and they don't know how to use their planetary powers?"  
  
Keeper smiled like the cat who swallowed the canary at her question. 'Finally, I'm getting through to her,' he thought. "Well, before Metallion managed to destroy Dimension 4364 and travel to your world, I managed to smuggle out a secret weapon. If used correctly, it may just prove to be the key to Metallion's undoing."  
  
With his cryptic words, Keeper waved his hand and a bundle appeared on the floor just in front of the puzzled teenagers. Waving them forward, the group stepped closer tentatively, eager for a closer look. Upon closer inspection, they realized that the bundle was a girl with long, flowing blond hair. She lay facedown unconscious. "Arise," ordered Keeper. As if the girl heard him in her sleep, she stirred and stood up. They stared at each other in shock.  
  
"Oh my God! Darien, Scouts, you're alive! I'm alive! How can this be? My last memory before I lost consciousness was the world being ripped apart as Metallia opened a portal," a girl who was Usagi's exact duplicate in every way, including her once bubbly personality, exclaimed before she jumped into Mamoru's arms and kissed him passionately.  
  
Catching Mamoru off guard, he reveled in the feel of holding the girl who looked exactly like the girl he loved, before pushing her away. "Miss, I don't know who this Darien is, but I can assure you, it's not me. You were taken to this place before your world and everyone in it, was destroyed. My name is Mamoru, and I come from a dimension probably not unlike your own. Tell us, what is your name?"  
  
"What? Oh, of course, my name. It's Serena. Serena Tsukino. And what do you mean my entire world was destroyed?" the girl asked tearfully.  
  
"Apparently, alternate dimensions are real and Metallia, now called Metallion, has been systematically eliminating each and everyone of them before moving on to the next. You were spared by the Universal Council to help us defeat her," explained Ami. The entire group and the Universal Council gently explained the situation, including all the events which led to the Inner senshi, Tuxedo Kamen and Usagi losing their senshi powers, to Serena, who seemed to be in shock at losing everyone she cared for, something Usagi could very well relate to.  
  
"Serena here is your trump card. Not only does she have the Silver Crystal, but she also has the ability to become Sailor Moon. Guard her well from Metallion, who is banking on the fact that Sailor Moon no longer exists in your dimension," said Advisor.  
  
And with those parting words, they were transported back to the park where the previous conflict between the Inners and Outers started. Serena looked around curiously, almost reverently, taking in the sights that were so similar to her former home. "Listen, Mamoru. I'm so sorry about kissing you like that. It's just that you're the exact copy of my Darien and I was so excited to see him alive, that….um, you know…."  
  
Mamoru chuckled. She reminded him of Usagi before the rape that it was like going back in time before things got to the complicated state they were in. "I understand, Serena. No need to apologize."  
  
Usagi had been regarding her double warily before turning her thoughts to more important matters. "So how are we going to do this? It's going to be pretty hard hiding six people from the world, much less Metallion."  
  
"Well, why don't we stick them in the War Room? Only we have access to it and they'll be all alone there," suggested Hotaru.  
  
'The War Room?' ran through the Inners, Mamoru and Serena's minds.  
  
"No, that is the last place we should put them. Metallion will find them there in a heartbeat," replied Usagi.  
  
"Why?" asked Haruka.  
  
"Because the War Room, like the Time Gate, is located in the fabric between dimensions, it is therefore more easily accessible and more easily monitored by someone who has the power to jump through dimensions," explained Setsuna. (AN: bet you thought Setsuna wouldn't get any dialogue, huh? Truth is, I forgot about her till now. Sorry Setsuna fans!)  
  
"Oh. Well why don't we hide them in the mansion for now until we can come up with a more permanent plan? We could have a meeting tomorrow morning. For now, I think we should just head home and get some rest," suggested Michiru.  
  
"Good idea, I'm bushed. Between finding my father, or should I say our father, Serena, after more than a thousand years, learning about Metallion and having to harbour my betrayers all in one day, I don't think I can see straight. So I'll head to my house, update Artemis on everything and catch some shut eye." Usagi started to walk in the direction of her house before Haruka stopped her.  
  
"Oh no you don't, princess. Now that there are two of you here, we have to be on extra alert. We're walking you home." Seeing the look on Haruka's face, Usagi nodded her head and started off for home, with a doppelganger, an over zealous body guard, three exasperated Outer senshi, and five former super heroes in tow.  
  
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So what do you think? Please review, your opinions are valuable to me, even flames (please don't send me flames. lol) Stay tuned for Chapter 6. 


	7. Impostors

Hey minna, I just wanted to address a few concerns about the last chapter.  A few of you didn't like the idea of an Usagi and Serena existing in the same world, and the fact that Usagi didn't seem as mean to the Inners and Mamoru as the other chapters, but let me tell you the reasons why I chose to write it that way:

1) Bringing Serena from her dimension and into Usagi's was a way of creating conflict for the main character; a key element in what I think makes a good dramatic story.  Having to deal with a person who is her double in almost every way, and who is a person who loved another version of Mamoru in her world complicates matters for Usagi, forcing her to reevaluate her feelings not just for Mamoru, but about life in general.  It's called character development.  

2) Usagi has to have her priorities straight in order to confront an enemy whom she has already defeated.  This story is not just about getting revenge on those who wronged Usagi, it's also about having to triumph over a seemingly invincible opponent while having to work with and guard those who betrayed her.  Again, it's all about the conflict.  Who's the greater enemy, the ones who caused so much heartache for Usagi, or the new evil threatening to destroy all life?  Usagi has to set aside her personal vendettas for now in order to deal with what is to come.

3) Revealing that Keeper was her father in the Silver Millennium and that he created Princess Serenity in order to ensure that there will be a person with enough power to save the universe explains Usagi's reluctance to step into the shoes of Sailor Moon.  She resents the fact that her parents wanted someone to watch over the universe first, and a daughter second.  Plus, it also explains the absence of Princess Serenity's father in the Silver Millennium.  

4) And lastly, this plot development has many possibilities that I have yet to explore.  For example, how will Mamoru feel about another person who looks like Usagi; how will the Inners and Outers work together under Usagi's leadership; will working with the Inners and Mamoru get their friendship back on track or just destroy it even further; and how will Metallion infiltrate society.  

I'm really sorry for the long-ass notes but I just wanted you guys to see that I have thought this story through and that I didn't just start writing crap off the top of my head.  And with that, I just want to say that I hope you all understand my reasons for writing that chapter the way I did.  It was a way of introducing all of the above listed issues.  And for those of you who resent the fact that Usagi wasn't bitchy to her traitors, don't worry; just because Usagi has to protect the Inners and Mamoru, doesn't mean she's ready to forgive them.

By the way, I don't own SM so don't sue me.  

 ********************************************************************

The air around Usagi was thick with smoke and ash was falling from the sky.  Usagi looks around the garden as one by one, her senshi fall to the ground.  Hearing something crying in the distance, she followed the sound and discovered a baby lying in a rosebush, tangled up in thorns.  Usagi immediately set about trying to free the child from it's prison, her heart breaking as she watched the child cry louder and louder when the thorns dug deeper into it's flesh.  Once freed, she clung to the baby girl who was strangely quiet and feared that it was dead.

_The scene changes and Usagi found herself and the baby enshrouded in fog.  Looking around, she ran into the silhouetted forms of a man and woman whose faces she could not see but whom she felt she could trust.  Suddenly, a door appeared out of nowhere. Deciding to investigate, she thrust the baby in the woman's arms and opened the door, finding a vast, empty space.  She glanced back at the couple but they were gone, and heard a child's laughter over the wind that rushed around her ears.  Just as she was about to close the door, she felt the wind pulling her in but was powerless to stop it.  Once she was through the door, she heard evil laughter all around her, the sound resonating through her entire body.  Usagi heard herself scream as she felt a burning sensation in her body erupt before  her vision burst into a million stars.  The last thought before she lost consciousness was on the child she gave up, and hoped that she would one day see her again._

Usagi jolted awake, her breathing was hard and sweat covered her body.  'Wow, some dream,' she thought.  Glancing at the clock, she was dismayed to find that it was only 5:08 in the morning, hours before her regularly scheduled appearance on early Saturday afternoons.  Lying back in bed, she thought about her conversation with Artemis before she went to bed last night.  She explained that the Universal Council ordered her to protect Mamoru and the ex-Inner senshi, an irony that was not lost upon Artemis. They both decided on heading out early to the Outers' mansion in order to draw plans for the upcoming battle with Metallion.  'I guess now's a good enough time as any to get breakfast and be out of here before everyone else wakes up.'  Stroking Artemis' back a few times, earning her an appreciative purr from the sleeping kitty, she got up gently and went downstairs.  

Heading straight for the kitchen, Usagi put two slices of bread in the toaster and retrieved the newspaper from the front step for her father, a man who loved to catch up on world affairs before heading out for the day.  Hearing her toast pop up, she set the paper down on the kitchen table to get her breakfast ready.  Finally sitting down with her breakfast in front of her, Usagi picked up the paper with one hand and a slice of toast in the other.  Taking a bite of her toast, she read the headline and almost choked at what she saw.  "Massacre of Downtown Tokyo; Senshi Responsible" glared back at her astonished face.  Setting her breakfast aside, Usagi hurriedly read the article and was even more astonished at what she discovered.

Newspaper article:        

"Last night, at around 11:30 pm, for reasons known only to themselves, the senshi and Tuxedo Kamen decided to wage an attack on downtown Tokyo.  Witnesses claimed that the recently absent Sailors Moon, Mars, Mercury, Venus and Jupiter and Tuxedo Kamen were accompanied by Sailors Uranus, Neptune, Saturn and Pluto, rogue senshi who show up sporadically off and on for a few months at a time, and went on a rampage, using their powers on anyone and anything that stood in their way.  One witness reported seeing Tuxedo Kamen force himself upon a woman before stabbing her in the heart with a rose.

       'What the hell are they talking about?  I got home at 10:30 last night and even said goodnight to my parents before I fell asleep.  Besides, we can't transform anymore into the Inner senshi or Tuxedo Kamen,' Usagi thought wildly before resuming.  

"According to those questioned by the police afterwards, the senshi had no apparent target as there were no youma present.  After the mysterious assault, a staggering 53 people were injured and 17 people were pronounced dead at the scene, including the mayor's daughter 18-year-old, Masahiko Yumi.  (Totally made up person, I combined names I heard on the Iron Chef).  Masahiko-san was out with friends last night celebrating a friend's birthday when, according to a witness who did not wish to be identified, 'Sailor Moon threw her tiara electrified with Jupiter's power at the poor girl and burned her to death as they watched, laughing hysterically.'"

'I would never do that.  Sure, I punished that bastard Haru and I killed Rei in cold blood but I would never just attack someone who didn't deserve it.' Tears poured down Usagi's face, making it hard to read the startling paragraph that was to come.

"According to an unidentified source from the Tokyo Police Department, they were able to obtain surveillance camera footage of the Inner senshi and Tuxedo Kamen detransforming in a parking lot near the scene of the attack.  Their identities, which are now known to investigators on the case, are being withheld for the time being until arrests can be made.  The identities of the so-called 'Outer' senshi remain to be determined.  Who is to protect the citizens of Tokyo from those whom we thought were our protectors?  For more information, see pages 1-7 and 3-5 in section B."

Without another thought, Usagi raced upstairs and burst into her room, startling Artemis awake.  "I swear Mina-chan, I didn't go snooping in your laundry hamper again!  Oh, it's you Usagi-chan.  Um, hehehe, forget what I said."

"Never mind, you perve, we've got more important things to worry about.  Here, look at the garbage that's in the paper this morning."  Artemis read the paper that Usagi dropped on the bed, letting loose a few choice words that even Usagi didn't know, while she hurriedly started to pack a few articles of clothing and personal hygiene into a large duffel bag.  "So I guess Metallion has started her attack sooner than we thought.  We don't have time to lose."

"This is bad.  Usagi-chan, who else knows about your identities as senshi?"  Artemis asked as he paced around the room, formulating a plan.  In the six months since he was made her advisor, Usagi found that he was a brilliant tactician who was forced to work in Luna's overbearing shadow.  Usagi grew to value his opinions, as his method was to listen to everyone's viewpoint, instead of commandeering the entire operation, Luna's preferred modus operandi. 

"Motoki knows, and so do the Four Sisters.  Why, Artemis?"

"Then it's imperative that you go there now and erase any knowledge they have of the identities of the senshi.  I think it would be wise to visit the Four Sisters first, since they will be more susceptible to reverting to evil, given their past with Nemesis.  Since the police don't know about the Outers yet, we have to get to Motoki and the sisters before they do.  Before you go out though, use the Disguise Pen.  It should still work even though you aren't Sailor Moon anymore since it was designed for anyone's use."

Even before Artemis finished talking, Usagi had already whipped out the pen out of her subspace pocket and activated it, transforming into an old woman.  Picking up her duffel bag and placing Artemis on her shoulder, Usagi raced out into the streets with the speed that a woman her "age" shouldn't have.  Finally reaching the Four Sisters' apartment, Usagi pounded on the door and was let in by a grumpy looking Beruche after finally convincing her that she was in fact Usagi in disguise and not some crazy woman off the streets.  After explaining the situation, the sisters readily agreed to the idea, but not before wishing Usagi and the others good luck on their mission.  The sisters were unconscious after the mind meld and Usagi let herself out as quietly as possible.  Her next destination was Motoki's apartment, which was fortunately only a block away from the sisters' home.  

An exhausted Usagi knocked several times on Motoki's door, once again having to convince him that she was whom she said she was.  Going through the same speech she gave the sisters was a long and tedious process.  "I'm really sorry, Motoki-chan, but I really need to do this.  I am only asking out of courtesy because I consider you not just one of my closest friends but also my brother, but I will erase your memories of the senshi even if you refuse."

Motoki was hesitant at first about having his mind erased, concerned that Usagi might accidentally erase more than she intended, but after much coercion on Usagi's part and flashing of claws on Artemis', he finally agreed to be brainwashed.  Usagi thanked him and immediately started to erase the memories he held of the senshi.  Leaving an unconscious Motoki stretched out on the couch, Usagi glanced at the clock and realizing it was already 6:15 in the morning, immediately ran in the direction of the Outers' mansion, a good 10 minute walk, which Usagi managed to reach in 4 minutes after 'borrowing' a bicycle parked in front of a house.  Pushing away thoughts of guilt for having stolen a bike, Usagi vowed to have it returned as soon as possible.  She hid the bike in the bushes outside the mansion and used her key to open the door noiselessly.  Entering the mansion, Usagi was somewhat startled and amused to find Serena sprawled out on the couch with Sailor Pluto asleep on the floor next to her, Rei and Mamoru sleeping against the wall with cushions behind their heads in a corner, with Sailor Uranus  laying diagonally across from them, preventing them from leaving without having to go through her first.  Sailor Saturn slept on the love seat with Ami and Makoto on the floor and Sailor Neptune in another corner next to Mina who had Luna on her lap.  

"WAKE UP!"

Everyone shot up from dreamland, startled at the sudden noise.  Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, Haruka grumbled, "what's going on, neko-chan?"  When Usagi, who was busy drawing the drapes shut didn't answer, Artemis said, "Metallion has struck."

Immediately at attention, they all gathered in the dining room and read the day's paper.  "You know, for an all-seeing bunch of busy bodies, that Universal Council sure has lousy timing.  They could've warned us before any of this shit went down," groused Makoto as she read the front page for the hundredth time.  Usagi was pacing back and forth, thinking of a plan while ignoring the righteous indignation of all those around her.

 "Um Usagi-san, could you please stop pacing?" asked Mina timidly.  Usagi whirled around in mid-step with a look that scared Minako.  "Why is that, Aino-san?  Is my pacing bothering you?"  Mina gulped and nodded.  "Well in that case…" Usagi spun on her heels and resumed pacing, causing Mina to turn red as she saw Haruka barely hiding a smirk.  

"We need to find out what those people died of, since it wasn't your powers that did it.  Since some of you can't transform due to a certain action which I warned a certain cat not to do," -Luna had the grace to look embarrassed at Artemis' rather pointed hint-  "they obviously weren't attacked by the inner senshi.  Not to mention that you all were paying an intergalactic visit to the Universal Council at the time.  You also need to determine who this 'source' at the police department is and how they found out your identities."

"Hey Michiru-chan, may I borrow your laptop?"  A plan had formed in Usagi's head.  When the laptop was set up in front of her, Usagi immediately started hacking into the city hall records and managed to find blueprints of the hospital where the bodies lay in the morgue and the police precinct.  She was also able to obtain a map of the Tokyo sewer system.

'Where the hell did she learn to do that?  When we were going out, she didn't even know how to turn a computer on, much less hack into private records.  I feel like I don't even know who she is anymore.'

"Wow Usagi-san.  When did you learn how to use a computer like that?"  asked Ami, unable to keep the amazement at seeing Usagi in action out of her voice.  Without even glancing up from the screen, Usagi replied, "contrary to what you all believed about me, I have a brain and know how to apply it when I want to accomplish something.  How do you think I managed to beat your ass in every assignment, test and exam every time?  I didn't spend more than a thousand years in the War Room just to play around, you know."

An uncomfortable silence followed.  Sensing the tension in the room Serena, in an effort to change the subject, decided to speak.  "The War Room?  I heard you mention it last night but you never told us what it was.  How were you able to stay there for so long?"

"The War Room is an area of negative space which is much like the Time Corridor.  Since there is a time differential in the War Room, I was able to spend extreme amounts of time in there and hardly miss a thing in the real world.  When I caught my rapist, I put him there and tortured him for a hundred years before I turned him in anonymously to the police ten days after I caught him."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa.  What do you mean you caught your rapist and tortured him for a hundred years?"  Mamoru cut in.  His head was reeling with all the information thrust upon him this early in the morning.  First, he learns about the existence of parallel universes and then finds out that his own universe is in danger too.  Now his former girlfriend is informing him that she single handedly caught her assailant and tortured him for a hundred years.  How was that even possible?

"I _mean_ I caught him by using the bond we formed when he raped me.  One day in normal time is equivalent to ten years in the War Room.  I kept him in there for ten earth days and fed him his own penis for the last five days of his captivity, or fifty years War Room time.  Consider yourself lucky that all I did was curse you, Chiba-san," Usagi said wryly when she noticed Mamoru squirming uncomfortably.  "The War Room is where I planned my revenge on all of you."

'So **that** was how she managed to kick my ass at the volleyball championships.  She had extra time to practice.  I only had a month to prepare for the finals but she had….holy shit, three thousand years!  She must really hate us."

"So anyways, I hope I answered your question fully Serena.  Goodness knows some people here don't trust my **mental capacity **enough to follow my leadership."  Serena nodded numbly and although didn't know what a Time Corridor was, decided not to push it, while the Ami looked ready to cry when Usagi pointedly quoted what she said about her the night of the rape.  "Now, if we can all pay attention.  Here's what we do.  A team will break into the hospital morgue and perform autopsies on the bodies.  Another team will break into the police station, figure out who the source is, and steal their so-called evidence against us."

"Also, I think another team should go to Central Control and erase all your records," Artemis put in.  Usagi nodded.  "That's a great idea Arty."  Upon hearing her term of endearment, Artemis groaned and covered his bent head with a paw.  "Usagi-chan, you promised not to call me that in front of the others."  Minako couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy at the rapport between her former guardian and leader.  'Artemis was never that friendly with me.  He was always about senshi business.'

After a few hours of heated discussion, it was decided that Usagi would lead a group consisting of Mamoru, Mina, Makoto and Haruka into the hospital morgue.  Usagi and Mamoru were to perform the autopsies while Makoto ran a background check of the victims' medical histories.  Minako and Haruka are on lookout duty for the others.  

Thanks to Serena's experience as a spy for the Japanese government, she was put in charge of the team consisting of Setsuna, Rei, Michiru and Hotaru.  Apparently in her world, the Sailor Scouts were secret agents employed by the government to spy on other countries.  They reported to the emperor of Japan about technological developments, which would benefit their own country, and if he deemed it worthy, they would steal it for him.  Thanks to the efforts of the Sailor Scouts, Japan is at the top of her world's governmental hierarchy.  Rei's job was to use her psychic abilities to identify the source which Michiru would verify using her mirror.  Setsuna's job was to slow down time for fifteen minutes, giving Serena and Hotaru enough time to review the evidence.

"But remember, Setsuna-san, you must only slow down time when they find the evidence.  You must not stop it or slow it down for any longer than that otherwise Metallion could trace your energy signature.  Also, don't slow down time until Serena-san and Hotaru-san find the evidence, otherwise they'll just waste that time looking for it," Luna advised rather arrogantly.  Setsuna rolled her eyes and gave her a look that said, "Who do you think you're talking to?"

      Artemis was to lead the last group, consisting of Luna and Artemis in Central Control since they have been restricted access to it, to erase the records of all those present.  "Don't you guys think we should move ourselves to our hideout, wherever it may be, and establish ourselves there before we head out tonight?" Serena asked.  After much debate, it was determined that they would hide in an abandoned warehouse by the harbour, which was slated for demolition in three months' time.  From there, they would use the sewers to get to their own respective destinations.  Before they could make any more plans, however, Luna and Artemis were sent to stake out the hospital and precinct, respectively.  Setsuna and Hotaru were to go out and buy the supplies they needed to live on while in hiding.  In the roughly two hours they were gone, Usagi shut herself off in Hotaru's room, crying about the burden which had increasingly gotten heavier in the past six months or so after she was raped.  

'How can I do this?  I have to work closely with Mamoru again after months of ignoring him and my feelings for him.  If I hadn't gotten raped, I would be eight and a half months pregnant, close to delivery and it would be even harder to carry out this mission.  Maybe losing the baby that night was for the best.  If I was that far along and I had a miscarriage as a result of the mission tonight, I would break down even more than I already have and let Metallion have this stupid planet.'  Realizing what just passed through her head, Usagi buried her head in the pillow and  cried herself to sleep.

Usagi woke up to Mamoru shaking her shoulder gently.  "Come on Usagi, everyone's back now.  We need to run a few more details of the plan through with you."  Usagi blushed at Mamoru's touch but quickly shook his hand from her shoulder and stood up.  Without a word of acknowledgement, she walked out of the room with Mamoru trailing dejectedly behind her.

As it turns out, Hotaru and Setsuna went a step further and moved the supplies they purchased to the warehouse already.  Luna reported that since the hospital laundry room was in the basement, Usagi's group would be able to sneak in through a drainpipe in the floor.  From there, they would have to sneak in to morgues two and three where the victims were being kept.  Artemis reported that there was a manhole located in the alley beside the police station.  They would have to crawl through a small window that opened into the men's washroom.  Serena warned that all radio frequencies were probably being monitored so using their communicators would be ill advised.  Usagi agreed and decided that everyone should meet back at the warehouse two hours after they initially set out.  If one group didn't make it back in the time allotted, the others would proceed to an old church on the outskirts of Tokyo and the late group would head there directly.  That being said, the group donned disguises brought back by Hotaru and Setsuna and headed for the warehouse.  Usagi was saddened by the fact that she didn't tell her family goodbye before she left.  

**Fifteen minutes after midnight**

            Usagi & co., dressed all in black, quietly slipped into the sewers, synchronized their watches and set off in separate directions.  Making various turns through the myriad of pipes, Usagi's group finally reached the hospital fifteen minutes after they started.  Quickly familiarizing herself, Usagi found the vent Luna described and crawled in followed by her group.  'Isn't it ironic that three of the people who were opposed to me being the leader is following me again.'

            Reaching Morgue 2 within a few minutes, Usagi and Mamoru opened one of the lockers while Makoto began checking the names of the victims in the hospital computer.  Mina and Haruka stayed out in the hall, making sure no one came by.  Pulling out a body with a 'Sakai, Fujimori' toe tag, Usagi and Mamoru were able to determine at once that the body has been dead for at least forty-eight hours, long before the massacre.  "Hey Mako-chan, are you sure Sakai-san was one of the victims?" 

            "Hai, Mamoru-san.  It says on this chart that he was killed by a blast to the chest."  Sakai's body had a burn mark on the chest but it was apparent by the amount of decomposition that he died much earlier than the day before.  Taking a scalpel, Usagi sliced through his chest and was barely able to contain her surprise when green blood stained her gloved fingers.

            "It's a youma," breathed Mamoru.  "Metallion killed these youma before the 'attack' and dumped these youma for the police to find.  What makes me wonder is, what about the mayor's daughter?  It was written that she was killed too."

            "Kino-san, check the records on Masahiko Yumi."  With a few keystrokes, Makoto was able to report that Yumi died as a little girl due to complications brought about by pneumonia and not as an eighteen year old out with her 'friends' on the night she was killed.  "Maybe the mayor is in on this too."

            Mamoru pulled out another body, this time labeled 'Araki Hiro' and discovered that he too was a youma.  Makoto ran a check into his records and discovered that Hiro died from lung cancer ten years ago.  Deciding they found out enough, Usagi signaled to Haruka and Mina that it was time to go.  Stuffing the bodies back into the lockers and wiping of everything they touched, they climbed back into the vent and headed back to the warehouse to await the others.

            Serena's group reached the alley with hardly any problems and one by one was able to enter through the window with ease, except for Setsuna, who was clearly the tallest in the group.  With a final grunt, Setsuna squeezed through and fell on the grimy washroom floor.  Shivering with disgust, she caught up to the rest of her group members who were peering out the door, cautiously.  "Do you feel any evil vibes yet, Rei?"

            "Well duh, Serena.  This is a police station, you know."  Haruka, fighting the urge to smack Rei in the face opted to frown menacingly at her.  "Although Serena is not the princess in this world, Hino, she is still in charge of our group so I suggest for your sake, that you shut the hell up and do your job before I pull out that nail up your ass and replace it with my foot."  Rei blanched visibly and apologized.  "I'm sorry Serena."  

            After a few minutes of observing the station, Rei began to feel a negative aura emanating from a detective whose back was turned to them.  She motioned to Michiru, who used her mirror to identify the officer.  "It's the detective who practically bit our heads off when we tried to visit Usagi in the hospital the day after she was raped," Rei gasped.  Haruka snorted and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "maybe he's not so bad after all," causing Hotaru to giggle out loud.  Serena looked at the pair sternly, warning them to be quiet.  They watched as the man disappeared behind the door to his office.  "I bet my life that whatever bullshit evidence he has against us is in that office."  

            Giving Setsuna the signal, Serena and the others raced to the office door.  All activity in the busy precinct came to a virtual standstill.  In the office, Serena and Rei immediately began poring through the photos of the senshi during their killing spree.  Rei recognized one of the photos as one she had taken of the group during happier times at a picnic in the park, spliced onto a background of mass destruction.  In the original photo, Usagi and Makoto were laughing gleefully as they wrestled a book away from Ami but the doctored photo showed them without Ami laughing over a dead body.  There were files on Usagi, Makoto, Rei, Ami, Mina and Mamoru dating back to two years prior, the time Metallia  posed a threat to the world.  Setsuna warned that there was only five minutes left, so the girls pocketed all the files and photos and left the office.  Making sure they were back in the washroom, Setsuna released her once she was safely out the bothersome window.  

            By the time they got back, Artemis and his group was back and discussing what their activities with Usagi's group.  Artemis relayed how Ami and Luna deleted all their records while he worked to create new identities for them.  Resolving to talk further the next day, everyone crawled wearily into their sleeping bags and fell asleep for the night.

So what do you think?  I apologize for the long author's notes at the top.  It won't happen again, I pwomise J  


	8. Breakdown

Hey everyone, I'm back with another chapter.  I made up a lot of Japanese names in this chapter so don't sue me if they suck.  Again, I used The Iron Chef for inspiration with the names.  Oh yeah, I don't own SM or the Iron Chef-never have, never will.  Happy reading!

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Setsuna's POV

            It's been two weeks since the night we went into hiding and the strain of living in such close quarters with the senshi, both Outer and ex-Inner, is enough for me to actually **want** to escape back to the Time Gate where I can live in blissful solitude and not have to listen to any more petty bickering about who forgot to put the cap on the toothpaste tube back on, or who ate the last cup of ramen soup.  I guess being alone at the Time Gate for a couple of centuries doesn't do much for a person's people skills.

            Although I know our new arrangements are hard on all of us, I know this must be the hardest on Usagi.  I can't imagine having to work with, much less live with; the very people you can't trust, and have your life depend on the survival of theirs.  I knew being a princess wasn't the easiest job in the world, but I had no idea how deep Usagi's duties to the universe ran.  Hey, even a Time Guardian doesn't guarantee being privy to all the secrets of the universe.  The night we met the Universal Council was the night I finally understood her reluctance to be Sailor Moon.  Imagine having to live with the knowledge that you were literally born to save the world.  She doesn't know that I can hear her crying at night when she thinks everyone's asleep but I can hear her sniffles from my spot on the floor.  She cries about her lost child and childhood, her lost friendships and her lost love.  I hear her whispered prayers to God, begging Him to let her heal, and to forgive her for not being able to forgive them.  Under cover of darkness, Usagi lets her walls down and lets her feelings known, if only to herself, but come daytime, you would never know that the cold, austere person in front of you was the same scared bunny crying the night before.  It breaks my heart to see her hide behind the walls she has erected to protect herself from pain.  She used to be the most open person I know.

            Oh my Kami, I forgot to tell you about our new identities.  Artemis created new ones for us that night Luna and Ami erased our old ones.  I swear, never trust a cat under a strict time limit to come up with eleven different names and descriptions.  Yeah, we have new looks to go along with our new names thanks to the invention of hair dye and contact lenses.  

Mamoru now goes by the name Suzuki Ryu and is 21 years old. His normally black hair has now been styled in a brush cut and dyed brown and his blue eyes are now green.  I guess Artemis got a little creative-or a little vindictive, I don't know which-because he put under "Distinguishable marks or features" that Mamoru had a tattoo of a bleeding heart on his left shoulder.  I almost died of laughter at the sight of Mamoru at the tattoo parlour, writhing in pain while struggling to keep a mask of cold indifference.  

            Rei is now Suzuki Sakura.  When she heard she had the same last name as Mamoru, her eyes lit up and her smile was wide enough to swallow her face whole.  I swear on the Garnet Orb that I saw her hold up her left hand as if to inspect it for a wedding ring.  When Artemis told her that she would be his 19-year-old sister, Rei sulked for almost an entire hour.  Per Artemis' orders, she dyed her hair dark brown and had it cut to shoulder length.  She now sports the same green contacts that Mamoru has.  The resemblance between the two of them is uncanny and I think Mamoru is getting annoyed at that.  They bicker non-stop about anything and everything, just like brother and sister.  

            Not surprisingly, Usagi and Serena are now twins by the names of Watanabe Himeko and Watanabe Suki, respectively.  I think naming Usagi 'Himeko' was a little bait on Artemis' part but when you're struggling to rename eleven people and creating new lives for them, I don't think you care too much about the quality of the names you chose.  They are 20 years old and have layered shoulder length red hair and hazel eyes.  Since Mina resembled Usagi before her transformation, Artemis decided to make her their 19-year-old cousin named Watanabe Koneko.  What did I tell you about the names?  Her hair was cut to her waist and dyed pink and her eyes are now grey.  

            Hamada Seiko is Makoto's new name.  She is 21 with green, chin length hair and blue eyes.  Ami is Chen Akira and she is 20 years old with purple hair and red eyes.  She looks like a cross between Chibi-Usa and Hotaru.  Haruka is now 23, has black hair and black eyes, and goes by the name Hikari Michiko.  Michiru is Namura Tomi.  She has blue hair and green eyes and is 22 years old.

            What about Hotaru and myself?  Well, Hotaru's name has been changed to Akino Taiko.  Artemis decided to keep her at the age of twelve and her eye colour as well.  Lucky bastard.  The only thing that changed appearance-wise was her purple hair was dyed ash brown-not an easy task considering all the work it took to bleach her hair to get it that shade of blond.  And last but certainly not least, I am now called Akino Mika and Hotaru's mother.  And damn Artemis made me 32 years old!  Personally, I don't think I look a day over 25.  I had to get my hair bleached too so I could match Hotaru's.  I admit that I **almost** cried when the hairdresser cut my hair to just below my shoulders.  Almost, but not quite.  I suspect that Artemis made many of us related to each other because he couldn't think of any more last names.  (AN: I know I did.)

            Let's see, what else happened since that night.  Oh yeah, when Sato discovered that the phony evidence he had against us was missing, he brought in the families of the Inners, including Usagi's, and had them interrogated for six hours before he released them.  I don't know if they know it, but they're being followed everywhere they go and I'm pretty sure the Tsukino's phone is bugged just in case Usagi tried to contact her family.  

            Speaking of Usagi, Sato released photos of her and Mamoru, as well as the Inner senshi in a press conference.  The reporters had a field day, labeling them both as psychopathic masterminds bent on taking over the world.  Sato revealed that Usagi had been raped months before and was probably taking her anger out on the world with Mamoru, the ever-faithful boyfriend, at her side.  Both were labeled as armed and dangerous and should be approached with the greatest caution.  The media speculated that the six-month hiatus of the Inner senshi and Tuxedo Kamen was used to plan their attack on the downtown core.  

            Protest groups against the senshi formed after 7 more attacks, putting more pressure on the police to capture us.  Even the Prime Minister got involved when the "senshi" appeared at a recent outing of his and failed to assassinate him.  Marshal Law was declared indefinitely or until the senshi were captured, making us thankful we got disguises when we did.  On the streets, people cursed the senshi as they would the devil.  Because of the Marshal Law, a curfew was set and no one was allowed to be out of their homes after 8 pm, under penalty of  detainment under police custody.  All routes out of Japan have been cut off to prevent our escape.  All air and boat travel have been suspended with the exception of import and export vehicles, but only after a thorough check of all the cargo.  Our stock market has been on a steady decline because international investors were unsure of when the country would be open for free trade again.  The military has been given permission to detain anyone they deem suspicious or without identification, for as long as they wanted.  Police raids were frequent, and the arrests of innocent people who were under suspicion of harbouring the senshi were even more so.  Poor Motoki was under arrest for a while until he was released after passing a lie detector test with flying colours.  The news reports now come from the military and have to be pre-approved before making it on air.  

The net is slowly tightening around us and I don't know how much longer we can hide from those who hunt us.  We've already had to leave the warehouse after we heard the police dogs searching the other side of the shipyards.  We quickly set fire to the place, making it look like an electrical fire when it was really Usagi's crystal, and got the hell out of there just in the nick of time.  Right now, we're living in a seedy two-bedroom apartment in the bad part of town.  It's a tight squeeze, especially at night with Usagi, Serena, Artemis and us Outers in one room, Luna and the Inners in the other, and Mamoru on the lumpy couch in the 'living room.'  There's only one washroom, and a very limited amount of hot water so we draw straws to determine the shower order for the day.  

We have all been keeping busy in order to find out as much about the enemy as we can.  For example, Artemis was 'adopted' by Sato's daughter.  He now lives in their home and would come back every night to report to us anything that Sato might have up his sleeve.  So far, he has been able to warn us about a police raid in our area, allowing us to escape through the sewers a mere fifteen minutes before they came.  We hid in the sewers for three hours before the police were done searching our building.  When we were sure they were gone, Serena and Artemis checked the place for bugs or surveillance equipment before giving us the all clear to move back in.  

Since Luna and Ami have been given access to Central Control again, they have been there almost every night trying to find the enemy base without success.  Every time they think they're close, the signal gets scrambled and they have to start all over again.  Serena warned that they can only do a fifteen minute search each day, otherwise the enemy may be able to track them down.  

Usagi and Serena have managed to assemble a phone tap out of bits of trash found in a computer store dumpster and have daringly posed as night custodians in order to place it in the mayor's phone when he went home for the night.  I swear, sometimes those two are more alike than they let on.  They sit there for hours each day, listening to the phone conversations of the mayor.  They figured that he was using some kind of code when on the phone because he would never call people by their names and would make cryptic, non-sensical statements that would just leave them baffled and frustrated.  From the garbled messages, they've managed to figure out that something big is going down in about two weeks' time involving a lot of VIPs from around the world.

Thanks to his new bad-ass tattoo and image, Mamoru was able to make friends with a gang member in order to hear word on the streets.  From his shifty looking acquaintance, Mamoru has been able to find out the location of the secret detention building on the outskirts of town where the police take people to be questioned.  I suspect that Mamoru has been enjoying his life as a psuedo gang member, after having to always play on the right side of the law, and when I questioned him about it, he just shrugged non-committaly and smiled.  

Michiru and Rei have been hard at work trying to figure out the pattern to the attacks and when they will strike.  Each time they hear of an attack taking place, Michiru and Rei would rush to the scene and observe from afar, studying our impostors' moves and methods of attack.  The information they have gathered will prove valuable when we finally go up against them.

Haruka has been busy keeping watch over everyone's families, but especially Usagi's.  She has kept an eye out for them, making sure that no harm befalls them in the manhunt for us.  She jumps from one family to another and gives each person tabs on their loved ones.  Haruka has been able to report that Ikuko has been in a slight depression ever since her daughter went missing and when it was revealed that she was in fact, Sailor Moon.  Rei's grandfather has been having a difficult time maintaining the temple with just Yuuichiro to help him out.  Ami's mother has been suspended from the hospital for a while because some patients are uncomfortable letting the mother of Sailor Mercury treat them.  Mina's parents were thankfully out of the country before the attacks took place and have been unable to get back, thanks to the Marshal Law.  

As for myself and my 'daughter,' we have been hard at work training the Inners in the use of their planetary powers.  We are careful not to overdo it, lest we bring Metallion and the army raining missiles on our heads.  The process is time consuming, and time is something we definitely don't have much of.  These princesses were supposed to learn how to manipulate their powers over the years, to give them time to develop along with themselves.  Instead, Hotaru and I are drilling them at a furious and relentless pace, much to the annoyance of Rei and Makoto, the two hotheads in the group.  

"Setsuna-san?  Hey Setsuna-san, come back."

"What is it Rei?"

"You've been staring off into space for the longest time.  What's up?"

"Oh, just reminiscing about everything."

"Oh."

****Interrogation Room, Building 425B 12pm.****

            "So are you telling me, Shingo, that you have no idea where your sister is at the moment?"  the man dressed in military fatigues asked the frightened boy.

            "No sir, I don't."  Shingo shifted uncomfortably in the hard chair where he has been sitting for the past few hours.

            "Why do I find that hard to believe.  Am I to understand that she never told you about her secret identity?"

            "It makes sense if it's called a secret identity, **sir**,"  he mumbled, earning him a hard backhanded smack.  The ring on the man's finger cut Shingo's face and he put a shaking hand to the wound to stop the flow of blood.

            "Do you think this is a game, boy?  Your sister and her boyfriend are responsible for the deaths of a lot of people.  We need your cooperation to stop them before they do any more damage."  The uniformed officer frowned at Shingo before resuming his pacing around the darkened room with a mirror spanning across one wall.  Shingo wasn't stupid; he'd seen enough cop shows to know that the mirror was really a window allowing people to observe him from another room.

            "Look, I told you already that I didn't know about Usagi being Sailor Moon and frankly, even if I did, I don't believe all the lies you've been telling me about her.  Usagi would never do those things to innocent people, even to get revenge for being raped."  Looking directly at the window, he stuck his tongue out, and almost wound up biting it off when the officer smacked him upside the head. 

            "Fine, withhold all the information you want.  We'll just get what we want from your parents.  Take him back to the room."  Two armed guards entered the room and escorted him back to the 10 by 12 foot room where his parents awaited his return.  

            "Oh Kenji, what are we going to do?"

            "I don't know, Ikuko.  I'll think of something.  Don't worry, I'll find a way to get us out."  The prospects of escaping weren't good but he had to think of a way to get himself and his family out.  'I know you didn't have anything to do with this and that you escaped before they could find you, Usagi.  Keep safe, my daughter and one day, we'll see each other again.'

****9:30 am the same day****

            Haruka burst through the door of their apartment looking as if she had just run from one end of Japan to the other.  "Where's Usagi-chan?"

            "Here I am, Haruka-chan.  What did you learn of my family, today?"  Usagi asked while adjusting some knobs on the transistor radio she was using to listen in on the mayor's phone calls.  

            "I'm really sorry to say this, but your family has been taken again for more questioning by some men in uniform.  I heard one of them say that they're going to be kept in some kind of holding area until they talked.  They didn't reveal anything else so I don't know where they were taken."  Usagi frowned at Haruka's report.  Then, without saying a word, she got up angrily and slammed the door to her room.  They heard the clicking of her lock and her muffled sobs within.  Haruka moved as if to break down the door, but Michiru stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.  "Let her cry.  She's been under so much pressure lately I'm sure it'll be good for her.  She'll come out when she's ready."

            Haruka looked at Michiru for a long while, studying her now unfamiliar face, and nodded.  "Good, I always did have you wrapped around my little finger."

            Mamoru looked mournfully at the door separating him from Usagi.  'How did it get to be this way?  Usako and I had the perfect life.  We were going to get married, raise a family and start Crystal Tokyo.  Ever since I decided to play the overprotective Romeo, all our plans have been shot to hell.  It's all my fault.'  Feeling the need for air, he clambered out on the fire escape, where he remained, thankfully undisturbed by the others who understood his need for time alone, pretty much the whole day.  

            Five hours later, Usagi emerged, her red, puffy eyes a silent testament to the amount of crying she did in the privacy of her room.  Everyone, including Mamoru who climbed back into the apartment 45 minutes ago, looked at her carefully, hesitant to ask about her state.  Finally Hotaru asked, "Usagi-chan, are you okay now?  Do you feel better?"

            'No, I don't feel okay', her mind screamed.  'I will never be okay again for as long as I live.'  Knowing that wasn't what Hotaru and the others wanted to hear, Usagi plastered on a slight smile, a smile that Mamoru noticed,  didn't reach her eyes.  "Yes, Hotaru-chan.  I feel better.  Thank you for your concern."

            'Who's she trying to kid?  I know her, and despite the fact we haven't been the closest of friends in the past few months, I know she's hiding her pain.  Oh Usagi-chan, just let it out.'  Makoto thought.

            Picking up the remote control, Usagi plopped down on the couch and turned on the T.V.  Flipping through the channels and finding nothing that interested her, Usagi finally decided upon the news channel.  

            "According to a spokesperson from the Imperial Palace, plans to host a gala celebrating the emperor's birthday will go on as scheduled in two weeks.  Among the dignitaries planning to attend are the President and First Lady of the United States, the Prime Ministers of Canada and England, as well as Princes Charles and William.  Preparations are going around the clock in order to ensure the safety and well-being of all invited."  The anchorwoman paused before going to commercial.  Usagi used that opportunity to run to the kitchen and ladle out the remaining ramen noodles on the stove.  The commercials ended just as Usagi resumed her position on the couch and turned up the volume.  

            "This just in.  About twenty minutes ago, Tsukino Kenji was shot and killed while trying to escape with his wife and son from a detention centre where they were being kept for failure to cooperate in a police investigation.  Kenji-san and his family were being led to a van awaiting to transport them to another facility, when he managed to overpower one of his guards and shoot him through the heart.  Before the family could get any further, however, the remaining guard managed to shoot Kenji-san in the back and neck.  Tsukino Ikuko and Tsukino Shingo were recaptured without further incident.  Now to sports…"

            All activity in the small apartment stopped when they heard the news announcing the death of Usagi's father.  Then without warning, Usagi hurled her bowl of noodles at the wall, barely missing Mina's head.  "Not today!  Please Kami, not today!  Why the fuck does my life have to be so hard?  Why today of all days did you have to do this to me?  WHY ME, DAMMIT?"  Usagi burst into a torrent of tears, screaming hysterically.  The others looked at each other, silently pushing Mamoru to comfort her.

            "Usagi?  We're really sorry to hear about your father. .."

            "Why today?  Haven't I lost enough today?"  Usagi continued to cry, oblivious of Mamoru's attempts at reaching out.  Finally, he gathered her up in his arms where she continued to cry.  "What are you talking about, Usagi?  What have you lost today?"

            Usagi, as if realizing for the first time whose arms she sought comfort in, stopped her sobbing and pushed him away roughly.  Looking at him in the eye, she asked, "Do you know what was supposed to happen today?"  Seeing his blank expression, Usagi continued.  "This was the day the doctor said I would have the baby."

            Mamoru and the girls felt as if they were punched in the stomach.  "It's all your fault, you BASTARDS!  Because of you, I'm stuck in this hellhole instead of being at the hospital delivering my baby!  Now, my child is dead and my father is dead.  I HATE ALL OF YOU!  

            "Wasn't saving your ungrateful ass from Beryl's brainwashing enough?  Didn't I die enough times to make sure you fuckers survived?  Beryl, Metallia, An, Ail, the Dark Moon Family and the Dark Moon Circus, and not to mention Gallaxia-aren't they enough reasons for you to trust in my abilities?  But noooooooo, as soon as I fall on the ground you're all over me like vultures, waiting for me to fail.  As soon as I mess up, all the shit I went through goes out the window and all you see is a klutz and a crybaby."

            Pausing to hurl the remote control at Mamoru, who managed to catch it awkwardly, she continued, "DAMN YOU, MAMORU!  You were supposed to be in **MY** corner, not helping those bitches plan the demise of our child.  How could you do that to me?  I never doubted you, not even after all the shit you put me through.  When you were brainwashed by Beryl, did I listen to the senshi who were convinced that you turned on us voluntarily?  No.  I killed myself after I killed you because I couldn't imagine life without you.

"When you conveniently forgot about us after **I** defeated Metallia, did I turn my back on you?  No, I endured your ridicule and your  horrible treatment of me because you couldn't even find it in your heart to listen to me begging you to remember our past.  

"How about when you dumped me for those dreams?  You treated me no better than the youma we fought.  As it turned out, it was your **future self** sending you those dreams!  You stupid son of a bitch!  Even in the future you have to fuck up my life!

"How about when Gallaxia killed you, huh?  Oh sure you couldn't help being killed but how was I supposed to know you were dead?  All I knew was my boyfriend was in another continent and not writing back to me.  Everyone told me to forget about you because you already forgot about me, but I wouldn't listen to them.  I believed in our love, even when Seiya made it clear to me that he would be more than willing to step in your shoes.  I told him to get lost because I knew you loved me.  Going behind my back to remove my powers doesn't show YOUR LOVE FOR ME! Isn't it ironic how all of you caused me so much pain but you were the ones who found cause to strip me of my powers?  And isn't it ironic how after even all this, I still love you, Mamoru.  And I hate myself for that."  Usagi gasped at what she just said, for it was the first time she admitted it to herself.  Wanting to get out before they saw her cry, Usagi rushed out the door.  

Mamoru was stunned at Usagi's revelation.  He was about to follow her when he felt Serena stop him.  "Let me go after her, Mamoru-san.  I don't think she knows what to feel and she doesn't need you forcing her to tell you.  I'll talk to her.  After all, I sort of know how she feels, seeing as how I lost all my friends and Darien, too."  When Mamoru nodded numbly, Serena raced out the door determined to comfort her double, sister, and friend.

            By the time Usagi had reached the lobby, she had calmed down enough to decide to head for the run-down playground across the street.  Sitting down on a dilapidated bench, she watched the children playing on the swings and going down the slide, seemingly oblivious to all the turmoil going on around them.  'Look at them.  They're so innocent.  I used to be like that nine months ago.  I could be holding my child in my arms by now, instead I'm running like a fugitive.  I can't even do anything to help my mother and brother.'

            "Excuse me, could I sit here?"  Usagi snapped back to attention and noticed a young woman gesturing at the spot beside her.  Usagi nodded and the woman sat down with her baby happily.  Usagi looked at the bundle in her arms wistfully.  The girl, not much older than herself, saw Usagi sneaking looks at her baby.  "Do you want to hold her?  Her name is Yuriko and my name is Chiyo," she said as she placed the baby in Usagi's waiting arms.  Usagi cuddled Yuriko in her arms and for a moment, pretended she was hers.  "You know, you're really good with children, you'd make a great mother someday."

            Usagi felt a stab of pain and handed Yuriko back to her mother.  "I can't have any children," she said softly.  Chiyo looked at Usagi sympathetically, before she rose up off the bench.  "I'm really sorry to hear that.  Don't worry, everything will work out for you.  I have to go now, my husband should be home soon.  Ja ne."

            Usagi watched mother and daughter walk back into their apartment building and sighed.  She stared at the sky for what seemed like years before she felt a hand on her shoulder.  Startled, she whirled around and found Serena gazing at her in concern.  "Hey there, I saw what happened with Chiyo and her daughter.  Are you ok?"

            When Usagi didn't respond, Serena sat down beside her.  "Did I ever tell you that I lost a child too?"  Prompted by Usagi's stunned look, Serena continued, "When I told Darien I was pregnant, he was so happy he went around with a smile on his face for a whole week.  I knew we would have problems though, considering our line of work.  Being a senshi in this world is different from being a senshi in mine.  In my world, a senshi is basically the property of the government while in your world, the senshi are super heroes.  Our every action is controlled by the government we serve.  When our commanding officer found out that I was pregnant, he insisted I go in for a physical exam.  I wanted Darien with me, but he was called away on a mission at the last minute.  The doctor gave me an injection he said would protect my baby from side effects from the crystal.  

"The next day when I woke up, I was horrified to see blood all over my legs and the bed.  I woke up Darien and he rushed me to the hospital.  By the time I got to the hospital, I knew our baby was dead and that it was the chemical in the needle the doctor gave me was the one that caused it.  We tried to confront our commander, but he flatly denied it.  An inquest was performed but the results were inconclusive.  Nothing was done about our situation and our baby's death was never avenged.  Two weeks before Metallion attacked our world, Darien and I were planning to leave the organization but we never had the chance.  War broke out between Japan and England, and we had to go into active duty." 

Usagi didn't know what to say.  Here was a woman who suffered as much as she had and she never said a thing.  "Oh Serena, I feel so foolish for not realizing that the world doesn't revolve around me.  I should have known you were suffering too.  Please forgive me."

"There's nothing to forgive, Usagi-chan.  You didn't do anything wrong.  What was done to me by my commanding officer and what was done to you by your senshi and Mamoru was terrible and we were not responsible.  They betrayed our trust but we still had responsibilities that took precedence over our feelings.  So we'll just cry on each other's shoulders, ok?"  Usagi nodded and embraced Serena, both women mourning their many losses at the hands of the worlds they fought to protect.

****at the same time back at the apartment****

            After Usagi's outburst, the Inners and Mamoru went their separate ways-well as separate as one could get in that tiny shoebox apartment.  Makoto just couldn't get Usagi's words out of her head.  Ever since Usagi had been raped and she stopped speaking to them, Makoto had been having nightmares every time she slept.  'It's true.  We were like vultures, waiting for her to screw up so that we could have something against her.  We never took into account all the good she did for this world, or for us.  Before Usagi came along, I was nothing better than a street thug.  She changed all that and gave me a purpose.  I'd give anything to take back that night.'

            Luna sat on the fire escape and thought about the change that had come over her former charge.  'Oh Usagi-chan.  I should have paid more attention to you.  How could I not have known you were pregnant when we slept in the same room?  I failed you princess, and I'm so sorry.'

            Rei was crying in the bathtub.  She knew her role that night played a huge part in influencing the vote against Usagi.  'I let my jealousy of Usagi ruin my friendship with her.  I thought she had everything, the looks, the man, and the power.  Little did I know what being the leader actually entailed.  I thought she was just a whiny, irresponsible brat who knew nothing about what it takes to be a good leader.  As it turns out, it was I who knew nothing.'

            Mina sought refuge in their room when she found out that the washroom was occupied.  "I'm really sorry Usagi-chan.  I should have stuck up for you, especially after all you have done for me.  You were the first one to accept me into the team, and you always believed in me after that.  Why couldn't I believe in you too?'

            Having nowhere else to go, Ami too, went into their room and sat down beside the window, facing away from Mina.  'The senshi always told me I thought with my head more than my heart, and I guess they were right.  I let my head see nothing but Usagi's faults and completely forgot about her good qualities.  I don't deserve her protection now, yet she's giving it to me, no matter how reluctantly.  She always puts our safety first. Now I know it's size of one's heart that makes a great leader, and not the size of one's I.Q.'

            Not having a room of his own, Mamoru had no choice but to remain in the living room to think.  His thoughts were whirling and he didn't know what to do.  'Usagi still loves me but after all I've ever done to her, things will never be the same again.  I have to find a way to express just how sorry I really am.'

            The Outers had decided to retreat into their room.  Haruka needed to be restrained from ripping into Mamoru and the others but Michiru thought they needed to have a talk about Usagi's well-being.  Being the dutiful and arguably, whipped beyond belief, girlfriend that she was, Haruka let herself be led into the bedroom they all shared.  

            "I don't know about all of you, but I sometimes feel sorry for Mamoru-san.  When you think about it, his intentions were for the best.  He wanted to ensure that she would always be safe.  He didn't want her to fight anymore, especially since her heart never seemed to be in it.  And now we know why.  It's too bad the information came a little too late," Hotaru said.  Haruka turned to Hotaru, eyes wild with fury.

            "Don't tell me you actually want Usagi-chan to **forgive** him?"

            "Well….it's just that both of them are suffering so much…."

            "Ruka-chan, sweetheart, what I think Hotaru-chan is trying to say is that Usagi-chan and Mamoru-san can find comfort in each other since they have both lost a child.  It's not healthy for Usagi-chan to keep her feelings bottled up like that."  Haruka grudgingly agreed with Michiru's words.   "Setsuna-chan, do you know what's going to happen in the next few weeks?"

            "I'm sorry Michiru-chan, I don't.  I've stopped knowing what the future has in store for us the moment Usagi-chan's powers were taken away.  The Crystal Tokyo we know of has ceased to exist and I have not been able to make contact with Queen Serenity.  I always said that the future wasn't set in stone, but I have never known the extent to which it could be altered.  Despite having lived for thousands of years, I never in my wildest dreams imagined that something of this magnitude could occur."

            In the meantime, Usagi and Serena had returned from the park and saw Mamoru sitting forlornly on the couch.  Sensing they needed to talk, Serena tiptoed unnoticed to her room and joined the Outers in their debate on whether Usagi should forgive and forget.

            "Usagi, can I please have a talk with you?"  Waiting until she sat down on the opposite side of the couch from him, Mamoru took a deep breath in preparation for what he had to say.  "Usako, I don't think I could ever find the words to express just how deeply sorry I am for what I did to you.  I just wanted you to be safe and before you can comment on the irony of my intentions, please know that if I could take that night back, I would."

            "Mamoru, I still love you but you have to know that it's over between us.  It's been over since the moment you went to Rei's temple that night and took part in their plot to get overthrow me as leader.  I think the fact you didn't trust me even after all I did for you is what is preventing me from forgiving you.  I am angry at you and the Inners for arbitrarily deciding on whether or not I had a right to my powers.  You didn't even give me a chance to explain my actions.  You just assumed I was irresponsible and immature.  That's what hurts me the most, Mamoru.  Throughout our entire relationship you regarded me as nothing more than a responsibility and a child.  My opinion didn't matter to you; all you were concerned with was sheltering me from the big, bad world."  Usagi had to stop because the tears in her eyes threatened to overflow.  "I am willing to work with you and the Inners to help defeat Metallion, but as for after….I don't know, Mamoru.  I don't know if there is anything left to save or if I even have the heart to do it.  So much has happened…."

            "Usako, I will take whatever I can get from you.  If it's only a truce between us while we're stuck here, I'll take it.  I will work for a thousand years to rebuild what we once had.  Please believe me."  Usagi looked into Mamoru's eyes, and knew they held the truth.  Unfortunately, Usagi knew it was too little, too late.

            "Hey minna.  Guess what."  Artemis bounded into the apartment from the fire escape, shocking both occupants in the living room and breaking the conciliatory atmosphere within.  "I found out Metallion's plan and it's happening in two weeks.  The night of the ball at the Imperial Palace."

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So what do you think?  It's a long chapter (20 pages) but it's all for you!  I slaved away the whole day trying to get this chapter out, so keep that in mind before you send flames coming my way.  Stay tuned for the next chapter, k?  I read the Bunnicula03's review and realized that I have indeed, forgotten about some of the characters.  It's just that there's so many of them it's hard to keep track.  I also kind of mixed the anime and manga versions but I had to in order to have more ammo for Usagi to throw at Mamoru.  


	9. Strong-arm Tactics

Hey all, thanks for all the great reviews.  If only my English teachers were as kind as some of you.  Well, the pressure's on to come up with a chapter as equally interesting as the previous chapters.  SM isn't mine, although I wish it were so I wouldn't have to look for a summer job.

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            "Geez Artemis, don't do that!  You scared the crap of out me!"  Artemis grinned unapologetically at Usagi's scowl.  "Well, I just thought you'd like to know what I overheard a certain detective tell a certain mayor about a certain plan to brainwash certain people, but since you're obviously not interested, I'll just take my business elsewhere."

            Grabbing Artemis by the scruff of the neck, Usagi turned to Mamoru and told him to get the others.  Mamoru did as ordered and pretty soon, all were gathered in the tiny living room, waiting for Artemis to deliver his news.

            "Well, I was playing dress-up with Gyokuran-" Artemis shot Usagi and Haruka death glares when he heard their snickers.  They smiled sheepishly and let the offended kitty return to his story.  "Anyway, Kura-chan and I were playing dress-up when the doorbell rang.  Sato made Kura-chan and I go upstairs to her room while he and the mayor went into the den to talk.  I snuck away from Kura-chan and went downstairs to spy on them.  I overheard them going over plans to brainwash the VIPs invited to the party at the Imperial Palace exactly two weeks from today.  With the heads of state brainwashed, it makes it easier for Metallion to take over the world without having to steal your powers just yet."

            "Shit.  This means we have just two weeks to stop Metallion."  Serena went into secret agent mode, pacing around the room, reviewing what Artemis had just reported.  Just then, Serena heard a muffled squeak on the fire escape.  'Someone's listening outside!'  Motioning to the others to shut up, she quietly tiptoed to the window, reached out and grabbed the intruder by the front of their shirt.  Haruka immediately rushed over to help Serena haul in the person who was struggling to escape.  When they finally won the struggle, Serena and Haruka were astonished and Artemis just about fainted when the intruder was brought to light.

            "Bubbles, I didn't know you could talk!  I saw you leave the house again, so I followed you on my bike, but you didn't stop running, and this place was so far, and then I almost got runned over by a car, and I'm so tired…."  And with that long-winded speech, the little girl plopped down on the floor with a sigh, looking curiously at the people around her.  

            "Excuse me little miss, who's Bubbles?  And what's your name?"  

            The little girl turned and saw Mamoru kneeling down so that he was at her height level and blushed.  'So it seems that Chibi-Usa isn't the only little girl with a crush on Mamoru.  Perhaps this can come in handy later on,' observed Usagi.  Pointing at Artemis, who covered his head with a paw she said, "Bubbles is my cat.  I found him pwaying in our garbage can two weeks ago so I 'dopted him.  He's my bestest fwiend.  He never compwains 'bout pwaying dwess up wif me, not like my snotty big bwother.  My name is Gyokuran, but my fwiends call me Kura.  How come Bubbles can talk?  Why is he here?  Who are you?"  Kura fired her questions so fast the others could hardly understand what she said.

            "Hi Kura-chan, I bet you're really tired from biking here all the way from your house, huh?"  When Kura nodded, Usagi continued.  "Why don't you sit down on our couch and play with the cats while my friends and I talk for a bit.  By the way, the other cat's name is Luna."  

            "My daddy said I'm not s'posed to talk to stwangers."  Usagi cocked her head to the side and pretended to think.  "Well, Bubbles isn't a stranger.  He's your bestest friend, right?"  Kura nodded her head vigorously.  "Good, if you need anything, we'll be over here by the window talking about boring grown-up stuff."  

Kura looked at the couch that seemed to be beckoning her weary body, and nodded.  "You pwomise you won't leave me?"  Usagi nodded, crossing her heart with her finger, satisfying the little girl.  She picked up Artemis and skipped to the couch, where she promptly introduced herself to Luna.  

            Turning to face the senshi, Usagi sighed.  "Well, everything is well on its way to hell in a hand basket.  You guys realize we can't let her go home anymore, right?  She knows too much."  The others agreed reluctantly, uncomfortable with the idea of kidnapping a child, even if it was for her own good.

            "What are we going to do?  This is hardly the place for a child, and if we force her to stay here, she might try to escape.  I hope her father didn't follow her here too,"  pointed out Mamoru.  Realizing what he just said, the girls paled.  "Um Kura-chan?  When you left your house, did anyone come with you?"

            Peering over the couch, Kura shook her head.  "No, my daddy was in a secwet meeting with his fwiend and my bwother is sleeping over at his fwiend's house."

            "What about your mommy?"  Mamoru asked.  Kura tilted her head up and pointed to the ceiling.  "My mommy is in heaven but my daddy says that she's always wif me."  Mamoru and the girls waited before Kura's attention was back on Luna and Artemis before sighing with relief and resuming their conversation.

            "So how do we get her to stay without making her suspicious?  Do we tell her who we are, or use our aliases?"  asked Mina.  

            "Why don't we ask her later if her son of a bitch father told her the real names of the senshi.  If he didn't, then we can use our real names but if he did, we tell her our fake ones," Serena suggested, looking at Kura on the couch who was at the moment regaling the two cats with her repertoire of nursery rhymes and songs.  Artemis and Luna listened politely, struggling to keep their faces from cringing when Kura hit the high notes.  She chuckled and turned her attention back to the discussion.

            "We could tell her that we're part of a secret club and that only big kids can join.  Since she has a crush on Mamoru, he can pretend that he wants her to join the club while the rest of us are against it.  When she sees that he's on her side and that Artemis is staying here, chances are she'll be willing to stay here too."  

            "Yeah, since she has a crush on me I could-hey wait a minute!  What are you talking about Serena-chan?  Kura doesn't have a crush on me.  She's just a little girl!"  Usagi rolled her eyes at Mamoru's blindness.  "Can't you see Kura sneaking glances at you from the couch, dumb-ass?  At least she's more subtle about it than Chibi-Usa."  

Mamoru glanced at the couch and sure enough, he heard Kura gasp as she ducked her head to avoid getting caught by the object of her affection.  Mamoru sighed.  'Why me?  First Chibi-Usa, now Kura.'  "What if it doesn't work and she still wants to go home?"

            "Well then, I'm afraid that we'll have to keep her here forcibly.  Maybe even brainwash her with the Crystal into believing that she belongs here with us, but we should use that as a last resort.  I'm not comfortable with brainwashing a little kid like Kura though," Usagi said.  "We don't know what the effects will be on her developing mind."

            "I do.  In my world, I was forced to use the Crystal to get some government secrets from a kid a little older than Kura.  By the time I was through, the child's mind was so damaged, he didn't know which way was up and which way was down.  He just stared at nothing, rocking himself back and forth.  He never recovered," Serena said.  She turned away for a second, trying to regain her composure.  After a few seconds, she said, "it's not one of my fondest memories and his face still haunts me at night.  I don't want what happened to that child to happen to Kura.  If we have to, we'll just tie her up in the closet or something.  It's better to make her hate us than to sentence her to a life as a vegetable."  The others agreed.  "Besides, if we play our cards right, we'll have her eating out of the palms of our hands."  

Deciding to put the plan into action, Usagi sat down beside Kura and placed Artemis on her lap.  "Hey Kura, out of curiosity, did your daddy ever tell you the names of the senshi or Tuxedo Kamen?"

            Kura shook her head.  "Daddy never said anything 'cept that he's looking for them.  But you know what?"  she asked Usagi.  "What, Kura-chan?"  Gesturing her to come closer as if she were about to reveal a big secret, Kura whispered in a voice loud enough for the others to hear, "those bad senshi aren't real; they're see through.  The mean lady made them appear for my daddy in our living room wif her black necklace.  Daddy said I couldn't tell anyone I sawed the fake senshi b'cuz then I'd be in twouble with the mean lady.  Am I in twouble for telling you?"  Kura smiled when Usagi shook her head.  "What's your name?"

            "Well, my name is Usagi and these are my friends."  One by one, Usagi introduced the senshi and Mamoru to their little guest.  "And the cats' names are Luna and Artemis.  I don't think Artemis likes to be called Bubbles, do ya, Arty?"

            "Oh.  How come Ar…Art…Arty," the feline groaned when Kura, in her struggle to pronounce his name decided to call him by his hated nickname.  "How come he can talk?"

            Encouraged by the vote of confidence Kura had in the senshi, Mamoru sat down on the other side of Kura and put an arm around her, causing her to gasp softly.  "Can you keep a secret, Kura-chan?"  Kura blushed becomingly as Mamoru smiled kindly down at her.  "Luna and Artemis are magic cats and our secret club makes sure the bad guys don't find them.  If they do, Luna and Artemis will be turned into dog food."

            Horrified, Kura gathered up the cats on her lap, causing them to meow in protest, and cuddled them up to her rather forcibly.  "Oh no!  I pwomise Mamowu, I won't tell." 

 Secretly grinning at their success so far, Setsuna schooled her face into a look of skepticism.  "I don't know, Mamoru-san.  I think she's too small to keep such a **BIG** secret."

            "I can so **TOO** keep a secwet!  You believe me, wight Mamowu?"  Kura frowned at Setsuna for doubting her secret-keeping abilities.  Thankfully, she still had Mamoru on her side.  "Having her here could come in handy, you guys.  She's just the perfect size to watch over Luna and Artemis while we do our 'secret club' things."

            Michiru pretended to look Kura over thoughtfully.  "Hmm, I don't think I want Kura-chan watching over the cats.  That's _my_ job and I think it's the funnest job in the world.  No, I don't think Kura-chan should join our club."  

            "Oh pwease, pwease let me be in your club.  I pwomise to be good and follow your wules.  I've never been in a club before."  Kura could feel the tears forming in her eyes, she was so desperate.  Deciding to take the game further, Hotaru taunted, "No way.  You're just a little kid.  Everyone knows little kids like you don't know how to keep secrets."

            Resenting the fact that Hotaru, a kid herself, was making fun of her, Kura wracked her brains to think of a way to be let into the 'secret club.'  The others watched her curiously as they could practically see the gears turning and a light bulb suddenly flashing above her head.  "Fine, if you don't let me in, I'm going to tell everybody about your secwet club.  I mean it."  To prove the validity of her threat, Kura crossed her arms and scrunched up her face in an angry pout.  

            Everyone looked at each other in amusement.  Here they were, trying to manipulate a four-year-old into 'joining' their club but here she was, turning the tables and blackmailing them to let her in!  Needless to say, they were all very impressed.  'This kid would make a great agent when she grows up.  She knows how to make the situation work to her advantage,' thought Serena. 

            Deciding to change their tactics, Usagi forced herself to look scared of the four-year-old tyrant.  "Alright Kura-chan, we're friends remember?  You wouldn't want to turn Artemis into dog food, right?"  Raising an eyebrow, Kura ignored Usagi and faced the window.  'I got her now,' Kura and Usagi thought gleefully.

            Haruka knelt down in front of Kura.  "Please don't tell anybody about our club.  We'll do anything."  Kura grinned slyly as she pretended to think about Haruka's offer.  "Well Hawuka, there's only one sowution to this.  You guys have to let me in the club.   I'm not changing my mind."

            Turning to Kura, Mamoru said, "If you want to join our club, I'm afraid you're going to have to live with us.  You can't go home because the bad guys might hurt you to get to us.  Are you ready to leave your family to protect our secret club?"

            Kura, as if sensing that there was more to their 'secret club' than they were letting on, nodded solemnly.  "Yes Mamowu, I'm weady.  I pwomise to keep your secwet and not let the bad guys catch you.  My daddy's diffwent now and he doesn't like me anymore.  He's always on the phone with the mean lady and he's always having secwet meetings with the bad people.  I don't wanna go home."  

            Usagi's heart went out to the little girl whose father, in all probability, had been brainwashed by Metallion and was now ignoring his familial responsibilities.  She scooped up the child into her lap and tickled her stomach, causing Kura to burst into a thousand giggles.  Noticing Kura stifling a yawn, Usagi asked, "Kura-chan, would you like to go to sleep now?"

            Kura nodded sleepily and raised her arms up to wrap around Usagi's neck.  "Usagi-chan, could you tuck me in and kiss me goodnight?  My daddy used to do that but now…"  Kura started nodding off as Usagi carried her into their bedroom.  She changed Kura into one of Hotaru's old T-shirts and tucked her in.  "I like you Usagi-chan.  You're nice," Kura said as she fell asleep.  

Usagi kissed her goodnight and felt tears falling down her face for what seemed like the thousandth time that day.  'This has been the second worst day of my life.  My baby was supposed to be born today but wasn't.  My family gets 'detained' for questioning and my father gets killed for trying to save my mom and brother.  The world is about to end in two weeks and I didn't get invited to the party.  Now, I have a new person to worry about.'  Giving Kura one last kiss, Usagi got up and rejoined the others in the living room.

"Well, Kura's asleep.  I guess she's had quite a workout chasing 'Bubbles' across town."  Artemis meowed in righteous indignation as he got up and sat down on Usagi's lap.  "She's a great kid, just very energetic.  I'm not surprised she was able to bike here all the way from her house.  Speaking of bikes, someone should hide her tricycle in case her father is out looking for her, although I very much doubt it."  

Mamoru got up and looked out the window.  Sure enough, there was a shiny tricycle parked at the bottom of the fire escape.  They waited until he was back inside with the bike before they resumed the conversation.

"Did you all catch that bit about the 'mean lady' and the black necklace?  I'm willing to bet that Kura was talking about Metallion and that the necklace is how she brainwashes people, including Kura's father,"  Mamoru said while they all nodded thoughtfully.  

Ami chewed on her bottom lip hesitantly, pondering the words that Kura and Mamoru had said.  "I bet her necklace is the source of Metallion's power.  It's probably how she opens the portals between dimensions.  If we destroy the crystal, we destroy Metallion."

"It's not that easy, Mizuno-san.  We have to find a way to get close enough to her to be able to do that.  We also have to figure out what we're going to do about that party.  Do we crash it and make a futile attempt to save everyone from getting brainwashed, or do we try to get the party cancelled so they won't come here at all?"  Usagi looked around and heard murmurs of agreement for the latter suggestion.  "Alright, we try to stop it from happening.  How?"

"By creating chaos.  We make Tokyo and the area around the Imperial Palace so dangerous that no one will even _dream_ about coming here.  We turn this city into a war zone."

"That's a great idea, Serena-san.  I, for one, am glad we're finally going to start hitting back.  It's getting tiring just sitting here while that bastard Sato badmouths us.  You'd think the senshi never did anything for the city with the way everyone keeps treating us like criminals even though we never did anything wrong."  The rage in Makoto's face was something that Usagi could identify with. 

 "It sucks, doesn't it Kino?  To have the very people you protected suddenly turn their backs on you just when you needed them most.  I feel your pain but look on the bright side; at least you weren't raped and was literally powerless to stop it."

Makoto looked like she wanted to slap Usagi in frustration.  "Listen Usagi.  I already apologized for what happened that night.  I will never be able to forgive myself for betraying you.  When this is all over, I promise you that you can do whatever you want with me but for now, could we please just call a truce?"

Usagi scoffed.  "Let's get something straight.  I don't call truces with backstabbers.  If saving my ass means saving yours, then I'm all for it.  But as soon as Metallion is nothing more than a bad memory, I'm out of Japan forever."

"Where do you plan to go, Usagi?"  The thought of Usagi moving away once their troubles were over never occurred to Mamoru, and it scared him.  

"It doesn't matter, as long as it's youma and traitor free.  Look, the sooner we come up with a plan to get rid of Metallion, the sooner I can leave this hellhole so let's get started."  

"Okay.  We're all agreed that we're going to stop the party by wreaking havoc on the city.  How're we going to do that?"  Hotaru asked.  

"You know, I imagine that Marshal Law isn't very good for gang activity.  It was hard to get around the police before but now with Marshal Law, it's probably next to impossible," mused Mamoru.

"Yeah, so what Mamoru?  In case you haven't noticed, we've got bigger problems than the inner workings of the gang world," Rei said sarcastically.

"Would you just shut up for a second, Rei.  I think Mamoru's on to something," Mamoru shot Usagi a grateful look for defending him, which she pretended not to notice.  Haruka frowned at Mamoru and was about to set him straight when she felt Michiru's hand on her thigh, restraining her with little effort.  Haruka painstakingly sat herself down again while Michiru gave Mamoru a saucy wink.

"Anyway as I was saying, the gangs probably aren't too happy with the way the government is running things.  What if we formed an alliance with Ito's gang, saying that we're starting a resistance movement?  Sort of like what we told Kura about having a 'secret club.'"

"I don't know Mamoru, forming an alliance with gang members sounds kind of risky.  What if they turn on us?"  asked Mina.  

Mamoru considered that option for a moment then said, "I'm not saying that we tell them who we are or join their gang.  I'll talk to Ito tomorrow and see how he and his gang feel about the Marshal Law and what they want to do about it.  I'll suggest to him that we do something about overthrowing the government and that I know some people who feel the same way.  I don't think we have to worry about them turning on us if and when we work together.  Believe it or not, gang members could be very loyal to those who help them out."

"It's an interesting plan, Mamoru.  So let's say they decide to join us, what then?" Setsuna asked.  

"Well, we could divide them into smaller groups and spread them throughout the city.  We attack different locations in the city simultaneously every day.  That should give the police a hard time tracking us down, and plus it would reach the international news.  The dignitaries would see that Tokyo isn't safe at this moment and opt to stay put," Mamoru answered.  

Despite her bitter feelings towards Mamoru, Usagi couldn't help but feel a bit of pride run through her.  'He hasn't changed a bit from the Silver Millennium.  He still knows how to lead an army.  Granted, our 'resistance' is a lot smaller than an army but we're still going up against the same enemy from back then.  If he hadn't betrayed me, he could have been leading the army of Crystal Tokyo against the Dark Moon Family and who knows what else.  It's too bad everything had to change.'

Setsuna looked at her princess looking at Mamoru thoughtfully.  'She's probably remembering the Silver Millennium and how she used to watch Endymion planning for the war against Beryl with his generals.  I may not know what's going to happen in these next two weeks, but I know that deep down, she still loves him but his betrayal of her is just too deep to forget.  Oh Mamoru, why did you have to screw up a good thing?"

"While you guys are out razing the city, what are you going to do about Kura?  She can't be left on her own; she's just a little girl," Luna said.  "What are we going to do about her father?  I bet he's looking for her now."

Hotaru got a wicked gleam in her eyes and picked Luna up.  "But Luna, didn't we entrust her to be the official cat-sitter while we do our 'secret club' things?  I don't know who needs a babysitter more, you and Bubbles, or Kura-chan.  What do you say Bubbles, you think you can handle watching Kura and Luna for us while we're out?"

"Stop calling me that, dammit!"  Artemis still hadn't recovered from the shame of everyone knowing what Kura called him at her home.  "We'll figure something out about Kura.  As for her father, he's so far under Metallion's influence I doubt he cares about what happens to her.  I bet he's going to use this to his advantage and blame Kura's disappearance on the senshi.  Tomorrow, I'll go to Central Control and create a new identity for her."  Artemis glanced at the clock and saw that it was past 2 am.  "Let's get some sleep now, guys.  We have a busy couple of weeks planned and we'll need all the rest we can get."  

The girls nodded and filed down the hall to their rooms for the night, leaving Mamoru alone in the living room on the couch.  Sighing, he made up his 'bed' and lay down but couldn't sleep.  'Usako, please don't leave.  I need to be with you.  I'll follow you to the ends of the earth and then some just to be close to you.  I know that everything's changed between us but you said yourself that you still loved me.  I promise you Usako, I'll do everything in my power to get you to trust me again.'  He shifted uncomfortably on the lumpy couch and closed his eyes for the night.

Down the hall, in a crowded bedroom, Usagi lay on the bed with Kura between her and Hotaru.  She stared at the ceiling in a futile attempt to fall asleep.  Usagi thought about Mamoru in the living room and sighed.  'Why does it have to be this way, Mamoru?  Why couldn't you just trust me that night?  You've always been the keeper of my heart and soul, but…I just can't get past what you did to me.  I know that you had my best interests at heart, not like the girls who just wanted to oust me as their leader, and I know that you regretted doing it.  I felt it when I confronted you that night at the temple.  I felt your pain and guilt when I broke our soul bond.  It hurts to know that you thought so little of me that you felt you had to take away my right to defend myself, from the rapist and the senshi.  I can't find it in my heart to forgive you for betraying the baby and me, no matter how much I wished that I was still with you.  I can't betray my unborn child by forgiving one of her murderers.  I'm sorry Mamoru.'  Feeling Kura snuggle into her side, Usagi finally released the tension in her weary body and fell into a dreamless sleep.

 When Usagi woke up the next morning, she found herself alone in the room.  Glancing at the clock, she discovered that it was already 9:30 in the morning.  'Amazing, before I even knew about Metallion's existence, I thought waking up at this hour was too early.  Now, I find that it's way too late.'  Shaking her head sadly at how much she had changed over the past few months, Usagi made her way to the washroom and got herself ready for the day.  Being the last one to wake up meant missing out on a hot shower.  'So that's why they didn't wake me.  Sneaky bastards.'  

When she was finished with her morning grooming, she made her way to the kitchen and got herself some breakfast.  She found that Mamoru and Artemis had already left for the day, leaving the rest of the girls in the apartment.  As usual, Setsuna and Hotaru were drilling the inners in the use of their powers, and as usual, Makoto and Rei were complaining all the way.  

'This should be entertaining,' thought Usagi as she plopped herself down on the couch.  Apparently, Serena, Haruka, Michiru, Luna and Kura thought the same for they were all perched on the couch beside her, watching with expectant faces.  

Seeing Usagi on the couch, Kura crawled her way across the many laps that separated them, much to the annoyance of the older girls.  "Hi Usagi-chan," said Kura once she was safely ensconced in Usagi's lap.  "We woke up but you didn't so Hawuka said to let you sleep in.  What are they doing over there?" 

"Setsuna-chan and Hotaru-chan are trying to teach the other girls how to use their magic powers.  You can't tell anybody about this, okay Kura-chan?"  The little girl nodded her head earnestly.  "I pwomise Usagi-chan, I won't tell.  Wei, Mina, Makoto and Ami aren't doing too well, are they Usagi-chan.  Look, they're making Setsuna-chan's face all scrunched up and red."

Sure enough, Rei and Makoto's constant harping was finally wearing down Setsuna's last nerve.  "Setsuna-san!  I don't see how we're supposed to use our powers when we don't have something tangible to focus our powers through!" complained Makoto.

"Yeah Setsuna-san.  Usagi had her scepters as Sailor Moon and she still has the Silver Crystal.  Didn't you say that we were supposed to learn how to use our powers through the years and that we're supposed to have talismans to help us channel our powers?  Well, where are they?"  questioned Rei.  She failed to notice the vein throbbing in Setsuna's forehead or how her right eye seemed to twitch in barely contained murderous rage.  

"I can't help but notice how we were never informed about having these powers in the first place.  Why didn't we learn about this sooner?" Mina asked Hotaru, who was keeping one eye on the complaining Inners while nervously keeping the other on Setsuna.  

"…"

"Mina's right.  If we were informed of this a few years ago, you wouldn't even have to worry about teaching us this stuff.  It seems to me that your teaching techniques could use a brushing up," Ami now joined in the complaining, more frustrated at her lack of progress than with the inadequate lessons.   

The audience on the couch cringed when they saw Setsuna's ever darkening face.  Kura snuggled closer to Usagi and Haruka held onto Michiru's hand.  Even Luna sought refuge on Serena's lap.    

Setsuna had finally reached the end of her tether.  She had been trying to cram a few years worth of lessons on how to wield one's planetary powers correctly in a few weeks.  "You think my 'teaching techniques need brushing up?'  You think it's easy having to put up with a bunch of whiners like you day in and day out?  You guys don't even try!  You wonder why you never learned about your powers before now well, I'll tell you.  You guys didn't deserve it.  Queen Serenity and I had long decided to let you _earn_ your powers rather than let you have it without the proper training."  

The Inners gulped nervously as they had never seen the usually calm Time Guardian so angry before.  "You say you want your talismans?  Fine, I'll give you your talismans."  With that rather ominous statement, Setsuna stalked into the kitchen and started banging drawers around, apparently in search of something.  The girls heard a triumphant "Yes!" before they saw Setsuna marching back to the living room with four chopsticks in hand.

"Here."  Setsuna thrust a single chopstick in each of their faces, which they took hesitantly.  "Here are your royal scepters your highnesses.  Now just imagine your power flowing through you and into your 'wands.'"  The girls on the couch snickered.  

"If all else fails, you guys could stab the youma.  Or if you're lucky, the youma will just die of laughter before you guys even start your attacks," Haruka laughed, tears threatening to stream down her face.  Michiru poked her in the ribs before she too, burst out laughing.

Hotaru pinched the bridge of her nose between her thumb and forefinger.  "Okay you guys, Setsuna-chan may be onto something.  The important thing to focus on is your power, not the kind of scepter or object you have with which to channel it.  Now cut the crap and focus, dammit!  We are going up against Metallion in two weeks and if I have to drag your asses to the battle, so help me, I would.  Now raise your chopsticks in the air and think about how badly you want Metallion dead.  I want you to imagine that that egg on the table is Metallion's ugly ass head and blow it up to kingdom come.  Stop staring at me like you don't understand what it is I'm talking about and do what I say!  NOW!"  

The stunned girls around her gulped nervously and slowly raised their chopsticks in the air.  They closed their eyes and focused their minds on the importance of annihilating Metallion from the world once and for all.  To their amazement, especially the 'students', the chopsticks began to glow faintly with each girl's planet colour while the egg started to shake.  'I can't believe that shit about the chopsticks actually worked,' thought Rei when the egg shattered, spraying everyone within a one-metre radius of the kitchen table with bits of shell and yolk.  

Setsuna looked smug as she surveyed the damage.  'Teaching techniques need brushing up, my ass.'  She reclined in her seat with her arms behind her head and watched as the other girls started cleaning up.  "That's enough for today.  Tomorrow, we move on to pushing the couch across the room using your minds.  Oh Ami, you missed a spot."  

Shaking her head in amusement, Michiru channel surfed rapidly and stopped when she saw a picture of Kura on the news.  "Hey Luna, why don't you take Kura-chan into the room so you could teach her the secret club song."  

Luna turned pleading eyes up to Michiru before sighing.  "Come on, Kura-chan.  You have to learn the secret song."  When they were gone, Michiru turned the volume up.

"Last night, in a bold move, the senshi have kidnapped Sato Gyokuran, the four year old daughter of police detective Sato Ueda, from their home," the anchorman announced.  "Gyokuran's bedroom window was found smashed and her cat 'Bubbles' was found dead.  Early this morning, Sato-san received a package of photos of the little girl bound and gagged, with the senshi in the background.  The last of the gruesome photos shows Gyokuran, known as Kura by her friends and family, lying dead in a pool of blood with Sailor Moon standing over her, holding a bloody knife.  Sato-san has condemned this as an act of cowardice and revenge for leading the taskforce against the senshi, and says that he will not rest until the Sailor Senshi are brought to justice not just for murdering his daughter, but for their crimes against the citizens of Japan."  

The girls looked at each other in disgust as Michiru turned off the TV.  They stared at each other disbelievingly while in the background the heard the strains of Kura and Luna singing "fighting evil by moonlight, winning love by daylight, with the magic cats to help fight, they are a super, secret club," before they started laughing uncontrollably.  Artemis chose this moment to leap into the apartment from the fire escape, causing the girls to laugh harder.  

"What the hell are you laughing at?"  Shutting his mouth after the girls motioned for him to stop talking, he heard Luna sing, "They will never turn their back on a friend, they are always there to defend…."  Rolling his eyes, he said, "I've changed Kura's identity.  She's now Watanabe Hitori and Mina's little sister."

"That's great Artemis, but Sato just announced over the news that the senshi are responsible for the kidnapping and murder of his daughter," Usagi explained.  Artemis wasn't surprised.  He had an inkling that Sato would use Kura's disappearance as a way to gain public sympathy while at the same time, smearing the senshi's reputation even more.  "I just hope that Mamoru makes some headway with his little gang buddy."

At that exact moment, Mamoru was standing in an alley with his friend Ito, pretending to smoke a cigarette and drinking his bottle of Asahi beer, talking shit.  Finally, when he felt he couldn't stomach any more beer, he decided to make his move.  "Hey Ito-kun, how're things going with the gang?"

Ito took a deep drag of his cigarette and let the smoke out through his nose slowly.  "How the fuck do you think it's going?  Business has been shit.  We can't ship our stuff out without the damn police sniffing our asses even more than they used to.  I swear, the boss is shitting bricks cuz our merchandise isn't going no where."

            Mamoru pretended to look around before turning back to Ito.  Lowering his voice, he asked, "Don't you just wish someone would do something about this stupid Marshal Law?"

            Ito snorted.  "Hell yeah, but the police are making even sneezing in public damn difficult.  The boss is talking about forming a temporary alliance with the rival gangs to kick Sato's ass."

            'This is going even better than I hoped.  They're already talking about forming their own resistance.'  Mamoru contorted his face in a way he hoped would make it look mysterious.  "Well, if you're really serious about overthrowing the government, I know some people.  I'm part of a small resistance group, hoping to get rid of the Marshal Law.  We could always use some help."

            Ito thought about Mamoru's offer.  This was his chance to rise in the ranks of his gang but he had to be careful before presenting an idea like this to the boss.  "A resistance group, eh?  Well, what have you guys done so far?"  

Mamoru thought quickly.  "Well, a few weeks ago, we swarmed some police officers and beat the shit out of them.  Then we broke into the police station, screwed around with their computer system and managed to delete some important information about raiding our neighbourhood.  We broke into the mayor's office and set fire to his files before the fire department was called."

            "If you guys did all that shit, how come it wasn't on the news?"  Mamoru swore inwardly.  He didn't expect Ito to ask such shrewd questions.  "Isn't the media controlled by the military now?  Everything they say has to be approved by the government.  If the Prime Minister allowed news of the failure of the military to leak out, they'd lose the support of the public.  The entire reputation of the government is at stake.  We're hoping to recruit more people who are just as fed up with the Marshal Law as we are so we can move on to bigger things.  We want to shake up Tokyo and everyone who runs it."

            Ito was convinced.  Joining Mamoru's resistance would give their gang a chance to fight back and get rid of the government that's out to ruin everything his gang had worked so hard to build.  "Hey listen Mamoru, why don't I talk this over with the boss and I'll give you an answer tomorrow morning?  I think he'll be interested in what I have to say."

            Mamoru agreed and the two parted ways.  Mamoru looked both ways before stepping out into the sidewalk and making his way back to the apartment.  'I hope Ito manages to convince 'the boss' to join our group.  It would make our lives much easier if things went according to plan for once.'  With that little prayer, Mamoru started to climb the rickety metal ladder that led to the window of their apartment.  Squeezing through the window, he called out a greeting to the occupants when he felt something crash into him.  Looking down, he saw that it was Kura hugging the life out of his left leg.  Scooping her up, Mamoru asked how her day was.  

            "Oh Mamowu, guess what.  Setsuna-chan got mad and gave the girls chopsticks b'cuz they didn't have wands.  Then they used their chopsticks and made the egg go splat!              It was so funny, you should have been there!  Then Luna-chan taught me the secwet club song.  It's really good.  Wanna hear it?"  Mamoru looked lost for a minute then, ruffling her hair, said maybe later.  "Besides, if it's a secret song, you shouldn't sing it out loud."

            Seeing Usagi passing by, Kura leaned over in Mamoru's arms and asked Usagi to take her, who more than willingly complied.  "Wemember Setsuna-chan's face when she got mad, Usagi-chan?  It was all red and squishy."  Kura giggled in remembrance.  

At Mamoru's questioning look, Usagi explained the events of the day, causing another round of laughter between the three.  Usagi paused in her laughter to observe the scene.  Kura was in her arms and Mamoru was by her side.  'We almost look like a family.'  She unconsciously took a step back when she heard footsteps coming from the hallway.  Turning around, she saw that it was Minako, who had apparently just stepped out of the shower, for she had a towel wrapped around her head turban-style.

            "So Mamoru-san, how did things go with your friend?"  Mina ruffled Kura's hair affectionately, who jumped down from Usagi's arms to follow Artemis, who she saw trying to sneak past her, into the bedroom.  The three remaining adults watched Kura chase Artemis shouting, "I sawed you, Arty!  You pwomised to pway wif me!"

            "Ito told me that his boss was planning to unite with the other gangs to cause shit for the police.  That was when I told him about us.  He fell for it, hook, line and sinker.  By the time I was done, I had him thinking we were Tokyo's answer to the mafia.  I made up all this shit about how we torched the mayor's office and roughed up every police officer we ran into.  He's back at their hideout trying to convince 'The Boss' to join our group.  He's going to let me know tomorrow what the decision is, and if my manipulation skills are still up to par, our little band of delinquents will be expanding, so be prepared to meet up with the gang tomorrow."  

Usagi smirked at Mamoru's self-assurance.  "My, my, someone's a little cocky today.  You better hope Ito's as dumb as you make him sound or we have to go back to the drawing board."

"He better fucking convince his gang leader to join us after all the beer I had to drink today!  It wasn't even noon yet and I had already downed 3 bottles.  Not to mention all the cigarettes I had to pretend to smoke.  I smell like a damn smokestack."

Minako patted him mockingly on the shoulder.  "You're such martyr, Mamoru!  Go change out of those smelly clothes and get yourself some food.  I don't think it was so smart drinking on an empty stomach."

For the rest of the night, they all sat idly in the living room tossing around ideas about what they would to Metallion once they got her in their clutches.  Kura, who had been dying to show off how quickly she had learned the 'secret song', had somehow managed to convince the cats to sing it with her.  By the time they were done with their concert, Mamoru had tears rolling down his face and the girls were shaking with laughter.  An hour later, Mamoru noticed that Kura had fallen asleep on his lap and passed her on to Usagi, who took her to bed.  The rest of the girls followed Kura's example and turned in for the night.

The next day, Mamoru arrived at the designated meeting spot where Ito excitedly told him that his gang had agreed to meet Mamoru's friends today at The Sunset Strip, a local strip club a few blocks away from where Mamoru and the girls lived in a half hour.  

"When you get inside, just go upstairs and knock on the door three times.  We'll be expecting you."  Mamoru agreed and rushed home to tell the girls.  Usagi was reluctant to leave Kura alone by herself with just the cats for protection but in the end, agreed to go when everyone, including Kura, insisted that they'd be fine.  

Once again using the sewers, they finally reached their destination.  Seeing the inside of a strip club was a new experience for all of them except Mamoru, who had taken Motoki to one to help him get over Reika's departure for Africa a few years ago.  The girls were astonished to see that some of the dancers were probably around their age.  

Mamoru led the blushing group of women towards the stairs and knocked three times on the door at the top.  The door opened and they were allowed to enter the spacious, and surprisingly tastefully decorated, room.  There were rich leather couches arranged around a mahogany coffee table, a pool table and Usagi even saw some of Michiru's paintings hanging on the walls.  Her look of surprise was mirrored on Michiru's face who had seen them too.  

Mamoru struggled to keep his eyebrow from rising.  'They must have been doing well before all this started to happen.  Who says crime doesn't pay?' He introduced Usagi and Serena as their leaders to the all-male gang, who immediately started hooting and catcalling at all the girls in their lounge.  Suddenly, one of the bolder men reached out to fondle Serena's breast.  Before his hand could reach its destination however, Serena grabbed it and used it to twist his arm behind his back.  

The men were shocked to see such a small woman restraining a man over six feet tall but obviously they never knew about Serena's secret agent/senshi background.  The man in Serena's hold continued to struggle so, reaching out to the table closest to her, Serena grabbed a beer bottle and smashed it against the table.  She held up the jagged end of the bottle to his throat.  "Ready to say 'I'm sorry?'"  He gulped nervously and started to nod.  

Just then, Usagi whipped out her switchblade and threw it at another guy in the corner, pinning his collar to the wall.  Mamoru and the senshi turned to Usagi who started walking towards the man to retrieve her knife.  "I believe you dropped this?"  She bent down to pick up a ten-inch hunting knife that he had dropped on the floor.  "You weren't going to use this on my sister, were you?  Good, cuz the next time I see a weapon in any of your hands," Usagi said, addressing the entire room, "raised against us, I won't miss."  She took the hunting knife and grazed it over his throat before throwing it to Mamoru, who caught it by the handle as if he had been expecting it.

Ito approached the girls cautiously with a middle-aged man whom he introduced reverently as Okata-sama.  "I apologize for the behaviour of my men.  Believe me, they will get what is coming to them later on."

"That is not necessary, Okata-san.  I believe we have taken care of the problem.  Why don't we just discuss what we came here to discuss?  I take it you have considered our offer to form an alliance against our common enemy."  Serena asked.

Okata nodded his head.  "Yes.  While it is not in my nature to trust outsiders, I believe joining your resistance movement is a most prudent course of action.  Together we will help each other pull out the thorn that is the law in my side, and the thorn that is Sato in yours."  Bending his head lower so that only Usagi and Serena could hear him, he whispered, "eh, senshi?"

Usagi hissed sharply and Serena tensed her body, ready to spring into action in case they needed to bid a hasty retreat when they heard Okata chuckle softly.  "I'm right aren't I?  You are the senshi.  Don't worry, girls.  I'm the only one in my gang who knows your secret and I swear I won't tell a soul.  I am glad to see that you have finally decided to fight back.  I have a feeling that you have been set up in this whole nasty business, am I right?"  The girls, reassured that they had found another person in their corner, nodded their heads as one.  

Settling down on the soft broadloom carpet, they started to talk about their plans to cause their private revolt.  The gang of 32 members, including Okata, was divided into 8 groups of 4.  Each 'cell' was to accomplish a different task before moving on to another part of the city.  They decided to make all their plans for the upcoming week and a half right then and there, for communication between the different cells would be most difficult.  Mamoru and the girls stayed there for about six hours, finalizing their plans with their co-conspirators before Usagi realized that Kura had been alone for so long.  

Okata walked them to the door.  "Good luck, senshi.  I hope we all accomplish what we set out to do."  He bowed to Mamoru and the girls and headed back up the stairs.  

Lifting up the manhole cover, Mamoru spared a last glance at the club.  'Good luck to you too, Okata-san.  I have a feeling we're all going to need a lot of it to defeat Metallion once and for all.'  With that, Mamoru lowered himself into the sewer to follow the rest of the girls back to their home, preparing himself mentally for what was to come.  "Watch out Metallion.  We're going to kick your ass all the way into oblivion."    

To be continued….

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I'm sorry for the long delay but I was fighting off a HUGE case of writer's block, plus I had to look for a job, and I got in trouble with my mom so I kind of stayed away from the computer for a while to get back in her good graces.  I worked on this chapter longer than I worked on my essays for school so I hope you like it.  Stay tuned for the next chapter where Usagi and Co. will finally be pouring on the vengeance.  Who knows, it'll probably be the last chapter before the epilogue.  Please review me, I need to know what you think of the story so far!


	10. Guerilla Warfare

SM isn't mine nor will it ever be so lay off, bloodsucking lawyers!! Here's the next installment called Guerilla Warfare. It's not the last chapter as I had predicted in chapter 8, but it is the second last before the epilogue. We're in the home stretch now people! Review, review, review!!!  
  
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"Oh pwease Usagi-chan, don't go!" Kura wailed on Usagi's neck, big fat tears rolling down her face. Usagi gently unwrapped Kura's arms from her neck and wiped the tears away.  
  
"I have to, sweetie. We have secret club things to do tonight. If I don't go out with Mamoru and the girls, the bad guys will win and Luna and Artemis will get caught. You don't want that, do you?" Kura shook her head.  
  
Usagi's heart broke to see the vibrant four-year-old girl cry like that but she had obligations to fulfill. Kura took big gulping breaths and once again clasped her arms around Usagi's neck. "You pwomise to be careful?"  
  
"Of course I'll be careful. I have to come back and play dress up with you and Artemis, right? Now, you be good for Serena and the others." Bidding Kura a hurried goodbye, Usagi disengaged the little girl's vice-like grip around her neck and stood up to leave.  
  
"Wait, Usagi-chan!" Usagi sighed. 'So close,' she thought. 'I was almost out the window.'  
  
"Can I have a kiss?" Kura asked. Feeling terrible for brushing her off, Usagi picked her up and smothered her with kisses all over her face. Finally she passed the giggling child off to Serena.  
  
"I really have to go now, Kura-chan. I love you," Usagi said as she walked to the fire escape where Mamoru and the girls were waiting.  
  
"I love you too, Usagi-chan." Kura whispered as Usagi followed her team out into the dark night. She snuggled into Serena's arms and gave her a hug.  
  
"She'll be alright, Kura-chan. Usagi-chan knows how to take care of herself. Besides, Mamoru-kun and the girls will protect her," Serena comforted. Kura turned her big brown eyes up to Serena's face.  
  
"They will?" Serena nodded. "Good."  
  
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Makoto's POV  
  
I hope we get to the army base before the soldiers come back from their training exercises and city patrol because we really killed a lot of time back at the apartment. I can't really blame Usagi or Kura though, for the holdup. Kura has been a godsend for Usagi. Since she's been living with us, Usagi has been easier to get along with. Kura has managed to break down Usagi's ice walls and make her feel again. Before she came, Usagi has been cold and abrupt with everyone, as if spending more than two minutes talking to a person would allow them through the barriers she has so carefully erected.  
  
Usagi and Kura have formed a tight-knit bond. I think it's because they're compensating for what they've each lost. Kura has found a mother in Usagi, and in turn, Usagi has found a daughter in Kura. Not that they don't genuinely love each other. They love each other so much it's a wonder they only met a week ago, because it seems that they were destined to be mother and daughter. It feels good to hear Usagi say that she loves Kura because it's been so long since I've heard anything of the sort from her.  
  
Kura has been an angel since the moment she arrived. The little episode at the apartment before we left was just a typical four year old afraid to let the one person she loves the most go. She is loved by everyone at the apartment, even the cats. Luna and Artemis act like they hate playing with her, but I think deep down, they love spending time amusing her. Artemis even volunteered sing the 'secret club' song with her the day we went to Okata-san's headquarters because she was feeling lonely all by herself . By the time we got back, they had a full-fledged concert going, with Luna using a flashlight as a spotlight, Kura singing into a wooden spoon and Artemis as a backup dancer. We watched for five minutes before Kura noticed we were standing there. We applauded wildly as Kura executed a shaky curtsy and the cats' jaws hit the floor. We still tease them about it to this day.  
  
It's been a week since that day, and already Tokyo has begun to feel the sting of our attacks. In the early morning hours since we returned from our meeting with Okata, eight explosions tore into the Bullet Train's tracks, destroying them and making the commute into the city via the trains virtually impossible. The impact of the blast has damaged some trains and a few stations as well. Traffic has been terrible since the transit system has been offline. Everyone has been forced to use their cars on the narrow Tokyo streets. What was once a two hour commute from the outskirts of Tokyo has turned into four hours.  
  
The next day, Serena's group and a few of Okata's went out and broke into the power plant, where they spent a hasty four hours making sure power in the downtown business area would be out for at least two days. Trading was halted and the value of the yen plunged even lower than it had in the past few weeks. Downtown Tokyo looked like a ghost town for three days since electricians had been trying to figure out what Serena did to make power very difficult to restore.  
  
The third day was the most dangerous of our missions thus far. Originally, it wasn't supposed to be that way, but things went awry and a security guard saw us before we had time to escape and shot at us. You see, my group had gone to the mayor's office to burn it down that night. We made sure that the building was empty before we even set foot inside the place and disabled the silent alarm system by bypassing some wires. I don't really understand the dynamics of it since Usagi and Mamoru did all the work, so I can't really explain it. (AN: neither can I! ; ) Suffice it to say, we got into the building with no problems at all.  
  
Once inside, we proceeded to trash the place. We piled all of the mayor's documents and his furniture together and doused it with lighter fluid, intent on starting a bonfire. What we hadn't counted on was an afternoon security guard coming back to the office because he forgot his house keys in his locker. Just as Usagi tossed the match onto the pyre, he stepped forward out of nowhere and shot Mamoru through the heart. Because Usagi had linked all of us to feel each other's pain, we all felt as if bullets had ripped through our own bodies. Mamoru died instantly while the fire blazed behind us.  
  
Through the roar of the flames, I heard Usagi growl menacingly at the security guard. In three steps, she managed to reach him and break his neck before he could even blink and we could react. The rest of us were surprised since we never assumed that Usagi could kill in cold blood that way-well except for Rei that day but Usagi knew that she would come back to life anyway and Rei was practically asking to have her throat slit after she said those awful things.  
  
The fire was threatening to block our escape route so we all helped Usagi carry Mamoru out the office and into the sewers. Once there, we waited until Mamoru revived and hurried back to the apartment shaken, but alive and accounted for. I never thought I would be grateful to Usagi for cursing us with eternal life like that. Talk about a blessing in disguise.  
  
The next morning, the papers said that the mayor was badly injured in the fire the night before and that his advisor, Yamada Yuko, would be filling in as the interim mayor until he can recuperate. The article also said that before the ambulance crews could take him away, the mayor kept uttering "the senshi, the senshi," blaming us for the destruction of the building. Well we were responsible for the fire but we knew for a fact that he wasn't there. Another load of bull the government is feeding the citizens of Tokyo.  
  
The same day, Serena disguised herself and went to a local Internet café where she proceeded to create a computer virus that caused all the ATMs in Tokyo to spew money out into the streets. It's amazing what that girl could do with a computer. I went with her that day and she made the screen look like she was playing a role playing game when all the while, she was constructing a virus that would spread throughout the city in a matter of minutes.  
  
Within five minutes of her releasing the virus, a crowd formed outside the bank across the street from where we sat. Serena and I watched as crowds of people fought each other to grab the yen flying out of the ATMs at a furious pace. Following the café's rules of cleanliness, we wiped everything we touched with the antibacterial cloths provided and left the building. We escaped through the sewers just as we heard the police sirens blaring two blocks away.  
  
The next day, we all rested as Okata's gang went out and phoned bomb threats to the American and British embassies. They also left mysterious packages around town, prompting frightened citizens to call in the bomb squad. The police was busy the entire day responding to calls of ticking brown boxes left outside their homes, businesses and on the street. Once the boxes were opened, all they discovered were clocks, not bombs, making the ticking sounds.  
  
On the sixth day since the attacks began, Okata's gang bombed all the bridges, including the Tokyo Bay Bridge and the bridge linking the island airport to the mainland. (AN: I don't know if there's a Tokyo Bay bridge but I've heard mention of it. But I do know of an airport on a man-made island in Japan with a really long bridge. I just don't know what the airport is called or if it's even in Tokyo. Just work with me, peeps!) Yesterday, Serena's group and four groups of Okata's gang went out and set explosives in the five major supermarkets around town. They detonated within fifteen minutes of each other, keeping the authorities busy guessing where the next explosion will likely to be.  
  
Of course, all our actions haven't endeared us to the public and certainly not the government. Although there were only a few casualties and zero deaths as a result of our tactics, the media played up the injuries and reported hundreds of fatalities which, if anyone bothered to investigate more closely, would have been impossible since the most dangerous attacks took place late at night, when the curfew would be in effect. Usagi and Serena had insisted on that to avoid as many casualties as possible.  
  
Schools and non-essential businesses were forced to close down, by government orders. Also, the Prime Minister has declared a state of emergency in the city of Tokyo and the surrounding cities. The United States, England and Canada pulled out of coming to Japan after the bridge explosions, with more countries following suit. Security has been increased, to the point where whole squadrons of armed soldiers would patrol the streets and helicopters flew overhead.  
  
The most devastating effect was that Rei, Mina and Ami's families now joined Usagi's mother and brother in the detention centre after the mayor's office was burned down. Even our friends were rounded up and taken away. The government spared no one that had any ties to the senshi, even the most insignificant. Students who just happened to be in our class but we never even talked to were arrested and sent to the prisons to be interrogated, or worse. Rei went out of her mind with worry for her grandfather and picked a fight with Usagi the day it was announced by Yamada that either the senshi give up their attacks, or their loved ones and acquaintances would face the consequences. I can still remember the words that passed between those two.  
  
Flashback  
  
We were all watching the news hoping to hear about the fire in the mayor's office last night. Kura was sitting on the couch between Mamoru and Usagi, who had been acting weird since they prepared breakfast in the kitchen together for everyone this morning. Just because Mamoru was shot and killed last night, doesn't mean he could get out of breakfast duty today, right?  
  
"Acting mayor Yamada Yuko announced that Mayor Masahiko-san has been placed in intensive care for the third degree burns that cover 60% of his body. We go live to a press conference that Yamada-san has called to address the growing problem with the senshi," the anchorman droned. What a pack of lies. The mayor wasn't even there last night. We checked the entire building before starting that fire. There was no trace of Masahiko anywhere.  
  
"Good morning, everyone. I have called this press conference today to tell the senshi that in light of their recent hostile actions, I have decided to hold their families and friends in detention centres located throughout the country. They will not be released until the senshi, especially the ones who go by the names Tsukino Usagi and Chiba Mamoru, have turned themselves in. We have apprehended everyone that has any ties to the senshi, and even went so far as to have Aino Minako's parents extradited from England, where they have been staying since the embargo on all non-essential travel to and from Japan has been enforced. There will be no negotiations. That is all, thank-you." With that, Yamada exited the room in a haze of flashbulbs going off due to trigger-happy photographers, followed by her staff.  
  
Usagi turned off the TV. Beside her, Kura pulled her sleeve to get her attention. "What is it, Kura-chan?"  
  
"That was the mean lady who always went to my house and made my daddy bad." All our eyes widened at her revelation. Having this kid around was turning out to be beneficial after all. So that was the infamous 'mean lady,' a.k.a. Metallion.  
  
"Are you sure, Kura-chan?" Mamoru asked. Kura turned to him and nodded. I think her little crush on him has faded since she saw how Mamoru always pined for Usagi.  
  
"Yup. I sawed her black necklace." Indeed, that necklace was so prominent that I doubt a blind person could have missed it. The chain was a thick rope of gold from which a black crystal the size of a golf ball was suspended.  
  
"What about our families?" asked Rei.  
  
"What about them? Do you suggest we jeopardize our entire operation to rescue them?" Usagi asked.  
  
Rei, in typical fashion, fumed. "We can't just leave them there! They're innocent in all this. They knew nothing of our lives as senshi."  
  
Usagi raised her eyebrow and looked at Rei scathingly. "Nevertheless, we cannot allow our personal feelings to get in the way of our mission. The fate of the entire world takes precedence over the lives of a few people." It was a little cold, but she had a point. I knew, however, that Rei would not be so willing to take this quietly.  
  
"How can you be such a bitch? Your mother and brother are in there too! Don't you want to rescue them? My grandfather is old, I doubt his heart could survive the stress of being locked up in a cell. We have to get them out of there!"  
  
I heard Kura gasp and cover her ears when she heard the expletive. Despite the seriousness of the discussion, I couldn't help but grin. She was just so cute. Usagi however, looked far from happy. "Watch your language around Kura, Hino. So you think I don't care about the lives of those people in there? You're wrong. There's not a day goes by that I don't think about going there to free my mother and brother. Don't you think I feel responsible for my father's death? You're not the only one who has a loved one in prison because of us, you know."  
  
Rei rose to her feet angrily. "It's your fault they're in there in the first place! You took away our powers to protect them! It should be you in there instead of my grandfather. You sentenced us all to live this way!"  
  
Oh Rei, how easily you forget how this all started in the first place. Unfortunately for her, Usagi did not forget and stood up to face her, her hand in a tight fist as if about to strike out. Mamoru's hand caught hers and Usagi looked at him for a long while before nodding her head and lowering her hand. I was so sure Usagi would have redirected her punch at Mamoru's face instead of Rei's for interfering in her affairs. See what I meant by both of them acting weird? It was as if they were communicating silently because Mamoru picked up Kura and brought her into the bedroom and told her to watch over Artemis, who had been nursing a cold. She waited until Mamoru came back to the living room before starting in on Rei. I wonder about that. Perhaps Usagi felt Mamoru's presence was the only thing able to restrain her from doing permanent damage to Rei.  
  
"You think it was MY fault that your powers were taken away? Let me remind you of something, Rei. YOU instigated that meeting with the senshi that night. It was YOUR suggestion that Luna take away my powers. You knew she had the power to do that all along and yet you pretended that you knew nothing of it. Care to tell the others why?" All eyes turned to Rei. 'Was it true? Were you just pretending to not know about Luna's abilities that night?' was what our eyes asked Rei.  
  
"WHAT? You knew about this? That night was all just an act, wasn't it? You planned to take away her powers all along, didn't you? You used us to accomplish your goals. I'm going to kill you, you BITCH!" This time, it was Mamoru who had to be restrained from hitting Rei by Haruka and me. In light of recent revelations, however, I wasn't in the mood to support Rei and 'accidentally' let go of Mamoru's arm, which he promptly used to slap Rei soundly in the face.  
  
Rei just stood defiantly with her chin high up in the air as if Mamoru's handprint wasn't on her cheek at all. Usagi looked at her coldly and said, "you knew that the only way to get rid of me as the leader was to take away my powers, didn't you? You plotted this for years, and because of your heightened telepathic abilities, you were able to look into Luna's mind until you found the perfect way to get me out of your life. What you didn't count on was me getting raped that night or that I had grown fully into my powers. Tell me Rei, why do you hate me so much? I offered you friendship, loyalty, trust and love but you rejected them all. Why?"  
  
At last, Rei's façade was beginning to crack. Tears slipped down her face and she made no effort to stop them. "I don't hate you, Usagi. I just thought that if I pushed you hard enough, you'd begin to see your true potential. You have to believe me; I didn't plan this out for years like Usagi said. It's true that I probed Luna's mind, but only to get my memories from the Silver Millennium back once we found out that Usagi was the Moon Princess. It was the first time I had read someone's mind without permission, so I wasn't prepared for the amount of power I had to use just to get past Luna's mental blocks. I lost control and ended up learning far more than I should."  
  
"They're called mental blocks for a reason, Rei. That doesn't explain why you used that knowledge to trick us into voting Usagi out of the group," cut in Ami scathingly. We all winced at Ami's tone, for we had never heard it directed at any of us before.  
  
"I'm getting to that. You see, I found out that Usagi was pregnant and I wanted to protect the baby. Also, at that point, I was sick of the way Usagi behaved when it came time to taking her responsibilities seriously. So I thought I would be able to take care of both dilemmas at the same time."  
  
I felt Mamoru's muscles tense in my arms. It was all I could do to hold him down without hurting myself in the process. Mamoru was fighting Haruka and me all the way, until Michiru and Hotaru stepped in and helped us out. Finally, he gave up and turned to Rei. "Kill two birds with one stone, ne? How did you know she was pregnant?" I shivered unconsciously at the sound of Mamoru's voice. If we thought Ami's icy tone was bad, Mamoru's low, calm voice was even worse.  
  
I guess Rei thought so too, for she trembled silently under his intense gaze. "Usagi and I were supposed to meet at my temple so we could sell charms together but she was late and I had to sell the charms by myself. I was so angry that I decided to head to the school where I heard from Mina that she was serving detention with Haruna-sensei. When I got outside the classroom, I heard someone crying. I know it was bad but I listened outside and heard Usagi confess to Haruna-sensei that she was one month pregnant. I went home without letting Usagi know that I was there. I waited to see if she would tell us soon but when two weeks passed and she still hadn't told Mamoru or us, I came up with this plan. Don't you see, I didn't intend for this to happen! I didn't know she was going to get raped that night. Kami-sama, please forgive me for everything I've done." With that whispered prayer, Rei ran into our bedroom and locked herself in for the rest of the day.  
  
I shook my head sadly. Rei's explanation had all of the good intentions that Mamoru had when he backed up her bid to relieve Usagi of her powers. Unfortunately, we mortals don't foresee the way fate steps in to bite us on the ass when we grow too presumptuous. I guess the old saying really is true; the road to hell is paved with good intentions. (AN: I had to stick the title in there somewhere!) Throughout Rei's confession, Usagi had remained speechless and aloof, as if she didn't care. We all knew that that was an act for we saw how her hands trembled as she sat back down on the couch. I felt Mamoru leave my arms and make his way to Usagi's side, where he whispered words of comfort to soothe her broken soul. What was said there was only heard by their ears for the rest of us retreated to Usagi and Serena's room to give them privacy, and to visit a certain sick kitty in need of rescue from his over zealous nurse.  
  
End flashback  
  
Ever since that day, Rei had been treated like an outcast in the apartment. She floated around, outside of our existence like a ghost trapped between two worlds. She makes sure that she and Mamoru never cross paths in the apartment, which is a pretty hard feat to accomplish since the apartment was so tiny and Mamoru slept in the living room. In a way, I pitied Rei because I knew that her relationship with Usagi and the rest of us was irreparable. She withheld information about something that important and violated us all in the worse way possible. In a weird way, ever since Rei confessed her sins, our relationship with Usagi and the Outers had gotten better-with the exception of Rei, of course. We are now able to make small talk without the awkwardness on our part and the resentment in theirs, unlike the conversations we had in the past.  
  
From the looks of it, we have reached our destination. We decided to raid the army base set up just outside the city. Since Mamoru, and now Usagi, were technologically inclined, their assignment was to tamper with the weapons stored in the munitions building while Haruka, Mina and I deploy and detonate bombs in the empty barracks. I just hope the base is mostly empty. Unlike our prior missions, this one posed the most risk. We were basically walking into enemy territory and we would be right under their noses. There was the turnoff where we would go our separate ways. We synchronized our watches and set off.  
  
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Usagi slip in the sludge that flowed freely in the sewer and Mamoru catch her before she fell. I waited for her to blow up at him but once again, I was proven wrong. I still maintain that something happened between them the night Mamoru got shot, for Usagi had dropped her spiteful attitude towards him and now just assumed an aura of…confusion? I don't know how to explain it, but I get the impression that something happened to make her reevaluate her feelings towards Mamoru, and now her mind's rebelling against what her heart is telling her to feel, and she doesn't know what to do. For their sakes, I hope she decides on the latter instead of the former.  
  
"Makoto-chan, you coming?" asked Mina. Her voice startled me out of my reverie. I nodded. "Good, now hurry up so we can catch up to Haruka."  
  
Usagi's POV  
  
Mamoru and I have been at this for about an hour and a half. We were hidden in the munitions building, sabotaging the weapons we found inside. I watch Mamoru clog the barrels of the rifles along the wall with a speed and grace that implied that he had been doing this his entire life. My duty was to make sure that their missiles and bombs were too damaged to use on civilians, or worse, us.  
  
Seeing all these guns keeps reminding me of the night Mamoru was shot in the mayor's office. It doesn't help that he insisted on handling them now. Every time I think of that night, all I can remember is the light going out of his eyes as the bullet pierced his body and the pain I felt when I saw those eyes go blank and cold as he lay in a pool of his own blood. I had always loved his eyes. I never felt that I had to rely on our link to know what Mamoru was feeling. I just glanced at his eyes and immediately I knew when he was happy, angry or sad. Even when I severed our soul bond, I could still tell what his emotions were.  
  
Killing the guard did not surprise or disgust me as much as I thought it would have. I guess I always knew that there would be some lives lost while we sought vengeance on Metallion, but I never knew I would be the one actually doing the killing. If anything, I thought it would be Okata's men who would kill in cold blood. When Mamoru came back to life, we headed back to the apartment silently, each person going over their own thoughts.  
  
flashback  
  
That night, I couldn't sleep, despite having counted eight hundred twenty six sheep and reading the most boring book I could find in the room. Giving up, I decided to head out to the fire escape for some fresh air. I tiptoed past Mamoru who was asleep on the couch and, as gently as I could, eased the window open and climbed outside. There, I gazed intently at the moon and wondered for the millionth time in the past two weeks how it was that my life has turned out this way. I guess I was too involved in my own thoughts because the next thing I knew, I felt a hand on my shoulder. Startled, I turned and saw Mamoru sitting beside me.  
  
"Oh, Mamoru. I'm sorry, did I wake you up?" I asked, avoiding his eyes in fear of seeing them dull and lifeless like they had been a few hours ago.  
  
"No, I was just going to get a drink of water when I saw you sitting here. Do you want to talk about it?" His proximity to me was making my heart beat fast and I drew a shaky breath in order to calm down. Mamoru must have noticed because he shifted closer to the wall.  
  
Feeling more at ease, I sighed. "Were you scared when you felt yourself die?"  
  
Mamoru thought for a moment. When I finally gave up waiting for an answer, he replied, "the only thing I was scared about was the possibility of me dying without your forgiveness. I was scared that I would die with you still hating me. I still am."  
  
I shook my head. "I don't hate you, Mamoru. I hate your actions but I realized tonight that I don't have the capability to hate you. We're too connected, you and I. Seeing you get shot tonight made me think that if you never came back to life, I wouldn't be able to tell you how I felt about you." I paused, going over what I was about to say to Mamoru in my head.  
  
"How do you feel, Usagi?"  
  
"I don't know. My mind tells me to hate you for what you've done, but my heart is telling me to let you back in. I don't know which voice to listen to. If I listen to my head, I would be doomed to go through life alone because I could never love another person as much as I love you. If I listen to my heart, I feel like I'm betraying our child for letting you back into my life. I'm confused," the tears I had been trying to keep in finally spilled out. Mamoru gently wiped them away from my eyes. "I can't hate you because you were the father of my child. No matter how much we've changed these past few months, we'll always have that in common. I keep forgetting that I wasn't the only one who lost a child; you did too, and I'm sorry if I made your grieving process much harder because I let my hate rule my heart."  
  
"Usagi, you never cease to amaze me. Your heart is so big that I doubt hate could ever enter it. You've always let your heart rule your life. Hate never ruled your heart because you're not capable of it. I grieve every hour of the day so you don't have to worry about making it hard for me to mourn the loss of our child because I choose to make it hard for myself. It's the most I deserve." Mamoru bowed his head so I wouldn't have to see the tears falling from his eyes. It was now my turn to wipe them away.  
  
"No matter what you did or how you feel, you don't deserve to have your child die in such a horrible way. No one does. I don't deserve it and neither do you. This was an unlucky twist of fate that we had no control over. You couldn't foresee that the baby would die that night just like I couldn't foresee that you would die tonight. You know, in a weird way, I'm sort of glad that I decided to curse you with eternal life. Otherwise, we wouldn't be here finally mourning together, as it should have been." I placed my hands on Mamoru's and looked into the eyes I loved so much. They reflected hope-for the future and for us.  
  
"Usagi, do you think the child you were carrying was Chibi-Usa?" Mamoru asked softly after a minute of silence.  
  
I shook my head. "I don't think so. Chibi-Usa and I had the same birthday and the baby I was carrying would have been born a few months before it. Why do you ask?"  
  
"No reason. I guess I'm just glad that it wasn't Chibi-Usa. We had grown to love her so much that I think it would have killed me even more if I found out I killed her. I mean, of course I would love all our children equally, but the knowledge that Chibi-Usa was our daughter from the future reassured me that we would be together a few thousand years from now. She was my safety net, my guarantee that there was a future to fight for because you would be by my side. Usagi, I can't stop blaming myself for destroying what we had."  
  
"Stop it. You didn't kill our baby; that bastard did and we must not forget it. We can't go back and change all that's happened, but we have lives to live and responsibilities to fulfill. We can't let him take away our lives, just as he did with our baby. Together, we can make sure that the future Metallion has planned for us doesn't happen so that we can build our lives over." My hands caressed his face as he leaned in closer. Not able to resist anymore, I closed the gap between our lips and kissed him.  
  
We started out softly at first, then as the need to feel whole once again grew, so did our desire for each other. I felt him wanting to deepen the kiss, so I opened my mouth to allow him passage. For the first time in a long time, I felt free of all my burdens. It was interesting how not only was this man the cause of all my heartbreak, he was also the only one who was able to mend it. Finally, the need to breathe overwhelmed us so we pulled apart abruptly, our faces flushed in the cool night air and our breathing ragged. I didn't even realize that tears were making their way down my face until Mamoru once again wiped them away.  
  
"I'm sorry Usagi. I shouldn't have done that. I didn't know you weren't ready yet. Please forgive me."  
  
I smiled shakily through my tears. "It's not that, Mamoru. It's…"  
  
"What is it?" he pressed.  
  
"Well, I feel so guilty for loving you and finally feeling happy. This isn't the time to feel this way. I need to focus on defeating Metallion so that we can go on with our lives." I held his hand and squeezed it tightly. "Do you hate me for loving Kura as if she were my own child?"  
  
"Of course not. Your nature is to love everyone and I'm not surprised that you've bonded with Kura like that. You nurture those who are in need and Kura was in need of a mother. I like to think that our child sent her to us to help you heal," he answered, lacing his fingers through mine. I couldn't help but smile at what Mamoru had said.  
  
"I like that. Our baby sent us a gift to help us put our lives back together." After a few more minutes of sitting in the quiet solitude the night offered us, I announced that I needed to go back to bed. We stood up and Mamoru helped me crawl through the window. Once we were inside, I wrapped my arms around his neck. "Please give me some more time to sort out my feelings for you. Just know that I never stopped loving you, and couldn't stop even if I wanted to."  
  
"I will wait forever for you to come back to me. I'm just thankful that we had a chance to talk tonight. Goodnight, Usako. I love you," Mamoru whispered in my ear.  
  
"Goodnight, Mamo-chan," I whispered back as I stood up on my tiptoes and kissed him lightly on his lips. I reluctantly let go and walked silently back to my room and fell asleep for the night.  
  
End Flashback  
  
"Usako? Are you ok? I think we're all done now," Mamoru said.  
  
I smiled at his concern. Nodding my head and clearing it out of my daydreams, we turned to head out the door when we heard two guns being cocked.  
  
"Hold it right there. Don't make any sudden moves or we'll blow your heads off." Mamoru and I turned slowly and saw two young men around Mamoru's age aiming their guns at us. I stiffened and immediately Mamoru shielded me with his body. The taller of the two grinned. "Won't sarge be so happy we caught the infamous Chiba Mamoru and Tsukino Usagi?"  
  
The other man nodded his head eagerly. He looked like he was just entering adolescence since his face was covered in pimples. Just as his friend was about to fire, something hit him on the back of his head, causing him to slump to the floor. The same thing happened to the pimply one. Puzzled, Mamoru and I craned our necks and saw Haruka and Mina, hiding behind some crates, holding up two rifles which they had used to clobber the inexperienced soldiers.  
  
"Come on, you guys. We set the charges to detonate in twenty minutes so we gotta get out of here," Mina said, her eyes roving at our intertwined hands. Blushing, Mamoru and I let go and started walking behind them.  
  
"Wait!" I called. They turned back and looked at me.  
  
"What is it, Usako?" Mamoru asked softly so that only I would hear.  
  
"You'll see," I said mischievously. I turned to the unconscious boys on the floor. I unzipped the trigger-happy soldier's pants down and stuffed the other guy's hand in, making sure to cup his fingers around his friend's crotch. Then, I placed their faces close to each other so that their lips almost met in a kiss. Lastly, I took the pimply faced one's leg and placed it between the other guy's legs. The result was a rather intimate position that I'm sure would embarrass them both when they wake up. Part of me wished I could stay and see their reactions but I knew to stay would mean getting caught and I couldn't allow that.  
  
"Way to go Usagi-chan, I didn't know you had it in you!" laughed Haruka. Beside her, Mina and Makoto were doubled over with laughter and were too busy trying to catch their breaths to say anything. I looked at Mamoru, who had a similar devilish expression on his face. At my questioning look, he reached over and put the taller boy's hand on the pimply one's butt. "There, I think they look perfect for each other now."  
  
The girls turned around and made their way to the manhole cover, trying to control their laughter all the way, leaving Mamoru and I trailing behind them. He chuckled, obviously still thinking about our antics. "So what made you do that?"  
  
"Do what?" I asked innocently. Mamoru's eyes twinkled.  
  
"You know what. Why did you?"  
  
"I just thought we needed to lighten up the atmosphere. I felt like laughing but the tension was so thick, I could cut it with a knife. For once, I wanted to laugh at their expense. I just feel kind of bad that those guys had to pay for it," I explained. Mamoru nodded, understanding completely like I knew he would.  
  
"Come on guys. The first bomb will go off in a few minutes and we need to get as far away from here as possible," Mina called out from inside the sewer.  
  
We picked up the pace and caught up to them waiting patiently at the bottom of the stairs. We slipped down the ladder as quickly as we could and was a few metres away when we heard the explosions rock the army base.  
  
When we got back to the apartment, we were still laughing about the two soldiers and wondering what their reactions would be when they woke up. We explained to the rest of the girls what had us in stitches, and they too laughed helplessly. Turning on the TV, we heard the last bit of the news.  
  
"This just in. The senshi have attacked army base 51 on the outskirts of town. 70 soldiers were killed and more were injured in the continuous blasts that exploded through the occupied barracks. We go live now to the temporary mayoral offices where Acting Mayor Yamada is standing by with a statement to the public and to the senshi,"  
  
The scene changes to show Yamada standing behind a podium in front of the Japanese flag. "Greetings fellow citizens. As you may have already heard, army base 51 was brutally attacked by the senshi. Due to the increasingly dangerous attacks, the Imperial family has decided to cancel the plans for the emperor's birthday celebration next week. But rest assured, we are working on a plan to capture the senshi and foil their plans for the destruction of our country. If you can hear me now, senshi, don't get too comfortable in your situation. You don't know what I'm capable of doing. Surrender now and maybe I'll consider letting your families live through the night." Yamada stared at the camera intently, making me feel like she could see me sitting in my own living room. I know now that the rest of my family would, in all likelihood, be dead before the week was out. But the needs of the many outweigh the few.  
  
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TBC….the next chapter is the last before the epilogue. Stay tuned for it. And please, for Kami's sake, review this chapter. I know you Seiya lovers would probably flame me right now for making Usagi and Mamoru kiss, but honestly, I don't like Seiya. I just don't understand the appeal of a guy who turns into a girl when he transforms. No offense. 


	11. Final Showdown

Hey everyone thanks for showing up to read this chapter! I know some of you are a little peeved at me for making Usagi forgive Mamoru in the last chapter, but I couldn't help it. If you hated that, then I hope you prepare yourselves for this chapter. So sue me-my story, my rules. On second thought, don't sue me. I don't own SM and I have no money to give. The unemployment line will be my new home for the next ten years after my mom finds out what kind of grades I'll be bringing home. But that's another story for another day……  
  
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(The same night as the army base raid)  
  
Usagi tossed around fitfully on the bed, nearly crushing Kura, who was thankfully a sound sleeper and therefore wasn't aware of her recent brush with death or bodily harm. The same dream that had been plaguing Usagi almost every night ever since her meeting with the Universal Council was back, but this time, things had changed. The dream still took place in a garden of some sort, and she still found the baby tangled up in thorns. As she had done in previous dreams, she freed the child and handed her off to the shadowed man and woman to investigate the sudden appearance of the door.  
  
Usagi's dream  
  
The door appeared out of nowhere in the garden and, wanting to investigate ,she gave the baby to the woman and opened the door. Instead of the vast open space she was accustomed to seeing, Usagi found herself at one end of a seemingly endless tunnel.  
  
'What's going on? This isn't how the dream is supposed to go,' Usagi thought. She turned back to the man and woman behind her but found that they had vanished into thin air. 'At least they followed the script tonight.'  
  
Gathering her courage, Usagi stepped through the threshold and into the tunnel. She didn't feel the excruciating pain that usually followed the second she was through the door, and she didn't hear the evil laughter that echoed in her ears every time she lost consciousness. Getting a little bolder, Usagi took a few more steps in the tunnel. She could hear a faint sound getting louder and louder with each step she took.  
  
The sound seemed to be coming from a thousand sources all coming at Usagi at different beats, creating an irregular rhythm and making them hard to decipher. In the distance, Usagi could hear a lone bell toll at regular intervals as the wind pushed against Usagi, fighting her with every step.  
  
The bell rang one last time, its clear tone loud enough to block out the other noises in the tunnel. The sound vibrated through the corridor and shook Usagi to her very core. As the sound died out, Usagi saw two doors open in the distance, and a flickering light emitting from what lay beyond it. She picked up the pace when she heard muffled, but familiar voices having an oddly familiar conversation coming from the other side of the doorway but before she could get any further, she suddenly felt herself being pulled back to the world of the waking.  
  
'No! It's not time yet! I have to find out what this means! Don't wake up, Usagi! Don't wake up, damn you….'  
  
End dream  
  
"No…don't wake up. Don't…wake…up" Usagi gasped softly as her eyes opened. Her heart was racing and her body was beaded with drops of sweat. Looking around the room, she was relieved that she hadn't awakened any of her friends and especially the little girl curled up in a tiny ball beside her. 'This dream was different from all the other dreams I've been having. I wonder if it's trying to tell me something.' Laying back down on her pillow, Usagi tried in vain to get back to sleep. Finally, after 15 minutes, Usagi decided to head to the kitchen to get a glass of milk. As quietly as she could, Usagi got up off the bed, pulled the covers around Kura more tightly and placed her own pillow on the edge of the bed to prevent her from accidentally rolling off. She made her way to the door as carefully as she could and narrowly missed stepping on Haruka's hand, who was softly snoring on a mattress placed on the floor beside Michiru.  
  
Once she was in the safety of the empty hallway, Usagi breathed a sigh of relief. 'I have to be an acrobat just to get out of this room.' Tiptoeing silently to the kitchen, she opened the fridge and proceeded to pour herself a glass of milk. 'Looks like we're running low. I'd better leave some for Kura tomorrow and then send someone out to get more.'  
  
"Couldn't sleep either, eh Usako?" Usagi whirled around and, in her surprise, accidentally sprayed Mamoru's face with milk. Eyes widening, she tore a sheet of paper towel from the roll and wiped Mamoru's face down.  
  
"I'm so sorry. I thought you were asleep. I didn't wake you, did I?"  
  
"No, and if I was still asleep, I'm awake now for sure." Usagi smacked him in the shoulder.  
  
"You scared the crap out of me," she accused in a fierce whisper. "What are you doing up?"  
  
"Couldn't sleep. I've been sitting here for the last five minutes drinking milk when you walked in. I guess you didn't see me standing in the corner," he replied sheepishly. "Why don't we go sit down on the couch and you tell me what's got you tied up in knots?"  
  
"Only if you tell me what's keeping you up too. Deal?" Mamoru nodded and led the way to the couch. The sheets were arranged over the cushions and the blanket was tossed to one end with the crumpled pillow on the other.  
  
"Excuse the mess. I wasn't expecting company this evening," Mamoru joked as he attempted to straighten out the rumpled bed. Usagi sat down beside him sighed. "So what are you doing up at this time of night, Usako?"  
  
"I've been having this recurring dream ever since we came back from the meeting with the Universal Council," she whispered, not wanting to wake up the others.  
  
"Tell me about it. If this dream is bothering you, you should tell someone about it before it drives you crazy. Take it from me, I speak from personal experience," Mamoru said. He shifted his body so that he faced her and she did the same. After some time, Usagi began to tell him about the dreams she's been having and how this night's dream was far different.  
  
"I just can't help but feel like it's telling me something important. Maybe it's a warning about Metallion, or maybe it's telling me how to defeat her. Why did the dream change tonight? Does that mean something's going to happen soon and that I need to be prepared for it? I just don't understand the significance. The baby in the thorns, the couple enshrouded by fog, the door. The weird ticking sounds in the tunnel and the voices I heard. The last part of the dream seems so familiar to me; almost as if I've been there before and I heard those voices saying those things a long time ago."  
  
"Do you remember what those people were saying?"  
  
Usagi shook her head. "I couldn't really understand what they were saying because of all the background noise in the tunnel. I just heard bits and pieces of their conversation and it sounded like there was an angry person speaking to other people. It just seems so familiar…somehow. Like I've heard it all before. Sounds crazy, doesn't it? Anyway, forget my crazy dream. Tell me what's keeping you up? It's not this couch, is it?"  
  
Mamoru gave her a grin that made Usagi's knees feel weak. If she weren't already sitting down, Usagi felt like she would fall to the floor. "It's not the couch, although it does play a big factor in my insomnia. It's just a lot of things all jumbled up in my head."  
  
"What things?" Usagi prodded.  
  
"Things like, what's Metallion going to do now that her plans to brainwash the world's leaders has been foiled. What's she going to do with our friends and family; what's her next move. Or better yet, ~who's~ going to make the first move, her or us. What's in store for the future? I don't even dare to speculate on that one because as I've learned the hard way, nothing's set in stone. Crystal Tokyo might never happen and my safety net is gone. I don't even know if there's a future left to fight for," he whispered sadly.  
  
"Of course there's a future to fight for. We still have a lot of issues to work through once we've obliterated Metallion and I'll be damned if she robs me of that chance. All our struggles are leading up to us-all of us-working through our problems and building our lives from the ground up. Do you know what it is I've been thinking about these past few days?"  
  
"No." Mamoru refused to let himself hope that she had been thinking about the main reason he had been unable to sleep that night and the night before.  
  
"You. I've been thinking about you and that kiss we shared. It's all I can think about lately. Sometimes I wonder if I did the right thing by kissing you. I lay awake at night doubting myself and my love for you. Then in the morning when I wake up and see your face, those doubts are erased as if they had never existed. I've come to realize that the first step to healing is to let go of past hurts." Usagi's heart raced as she picked up his hand and caressed it.  
  
"How can you say that after all that I've done to you?"  
  
"I don't know. What I do know is that I want to ~feel~ emotions again. I want to experience life to the fullest again. For so long, I've been hiding behind my wall, afraid to let anything but anger, bitterness and hate through because I thought that the world couldn't hurt me anymore if I shut myself off from it first. I thought that if I hurt you first, then my pain would stop but it just kept building up to the point where I got physically and spiritually weary just trying to maintain it. The hate was beginning to consume me and I was scared that I wouldn't be able to find my way back," she whispered, unshed tears threatening to spill over. She sniffled as she blinked them away.  
  
Mamoru had tears in his own eyes. "Do you think you can find it in your heart to forgive me after everything I've done?"  
  
"I'm willing to try. I don't want to see my baby in the afterlife without trying to reconcile with his or her father. There's no hate in heaven so I'm sure our baby forgives you. I know God has already forgiven you, so if He can do it, why can't I?" Usagi wrapped her arms around Mamoru, whose tears had already fallen. She felt his warm breath on her neck and his tears falling on her back. Mamoru pulled away once he had calmed himself down.  
  
"Thank you Usako, for forgiving me, even if I don't deserve it," he whispered raggedly. Usagi shushed him and raised her hand to wipe the remaining tears from his eyes. Then, leaning closer to Mamoru, she began to kiss his cheek softly, tasting the salty tearstains on her lips. Placing both hands on his face, she guided his lips to her own and kissed him tentatively at first, then more deeply when she felt him beginning to respond.  
  
Mamoru, on his part, wanted to take things more slowly. He kissed her back, holding himself back so as not to scare her off. He placed his hands on her waist lightly, as if asking for permission before resting them there. Usagi moaned into the kiss and deepened it, twisting her tongue with his. She halted him for a moment by placing her hand on his chest and pushing away lightly. Usagi looked him in the eyes and saw the desire he was reigning in.  
  
"Make love to me, Mamo-chan," she said softly.  
  
"Are you sure, Usako? We don't have to do this…"  
  
"I'm sure. I want to feel connected to you again, mind, body and soul. Don't tell me you don't feel the same way," Usagi questioned.  
  
"I want this to happen too, but I don't want to push you into something you're not ready for," he replied, already feeling the last dregs of self-control leaving him.  
  
"Who says you're pushing? I want this, and I want you." Seeing his doubtful expression, Usagi stood up and pulled Mamoru up with her. Sliding her hands underneath his shirt, feeling the rippled muscles of his abs and chest, which had gotten firmer undoubtedly because of their nightly excursions, she whispered, "please Mamo-chan. Please let's just forget about everything tonight. Just for tonight, I promise. Let's forget about all the awful things that's happened since the rape. Let's forget about our mission, Metallion and the world. Right now, let's just focus on us and our relationship. We can worry about all the rest in the morning. Please Mamoru, I need to feel whole again, and the only time I'm whole is when I'm with you." She couldn't say anything more because Mamoru had planted his lips on hers once more and began to explore her back with his hands.  
  
Slowly, they divested each other of their clothes, kissing and caressing as each article of clothing fell on the floor. Finally, when both had nothing left to remove, they began the process of reacquainting themselves with their bodies. Usagi gently urged Mamoru to sit down on the couch and stood in front of him.  
  
"Are you sure, Usako? If you want to stop, I will," Mamoru said. Usagi took his hand and placed it on her warm centre, already flowing with her juices.  
  
"Does it feel like I want to stop, Mamo-chan?" Without waiting for an answer, Usagi knelt on the couch, with Mamoru between her. Using one hand to hold on to the back of the couch, she used the other to reach down and guided Mamoru to her opening. She teased his manhood at her opening, coating his tip with her juices and feeling herself getting more and more excited. Feeling him throb in her hand, she purred, "I take it you don't want to stop either?"  
  
Mamoru groaned with desire. He had almost forgotten how she liked to tease him before they made love. "Please Usako…"  
  
After what seemed like an eternity for Mamoru, Usagi lowered herself slowly on his manhood, savouring the feeling of once again being joined with him. Both gasped softly as a wave of pleasure swept through them. They stayed that way for a moment, Usagi enjoying the feel of Mamoru filling her completely, while he was rejoicing in once again being enveloped in her warm walls. His mouth closed around her hard nipple, sucking it and making Usagi moan above him. Letting go of the couch, Usagi tangled her hands in his hair, holding him firmly to her breast while she rode him up and down.  
  
"Oh…that feels…so good, Mamo-chan. Don't…stop. Harder," Usagi managed to gasp out. Mamoru complied and gently bit down, eliciting a low moan from her, all the while pumping her hips. This time, Mamoru met her thrust for thrust and managed to get even deeper into her than before. They kissed, muffling their moans of pleasure. The only sounds that could be heard were the creaking couch springs underneath them, as they continued to make love.  
  
Mamoru kissed his way to her earlobe and sucked it into his mouth before continuing down to her neck. "Usako…I love…you." Mamoru felt her walls tightening around him, indicating that she was close to the edge. Knowing that she liked to scream her release, Mamoru covered her mouth with his once again while at the same time, pressing down with his thumb on her button hidden amidst her folds. As predicted, she screamed into the kiss and fell over the edge, pulling him along with her.  
  
Once Mamoru had released the last of his seed within her, Usagi buried her face into the crook of his neck and sighed with happiness. Their bodies glistened with sweat and their eyes were glazed in the afterglow of their lovemaking. Still joined together, Mamoru reached over and wrapped the blanket around Usagi's bare back, before swinging them both over so that he lay on his pillow with Usagi laying on top of him. It was a tight fit on the small couch, but it only served to make them hold onto each other more firmly.  
  
Both were silent for a while, Usagi drawing lazy patterns on Mamoru's smooth chest while he tangled his hand in her hair. Taking Usagi's silence as a bad sign, Mamoru asked, "do you regret making love, Usako?"  
  
Raising herself on her elbows, Usagi looked deep into Mamoru's eyes and saw that he needed to be reassured. "No, my love. I don't regret making love to you tonight, or ever for that matter. We compliment each other, in a way only soul mates can. Rest assured, I love you now more than ever."  
  
Feeling better, Mamoru pulled her down for another kiss. "I love you too, more with each passing day."  
  
Running her fingers over his lips, Usagi smiled. "I think our love can only grow stronger from here on out. Back then, we were just two naive people who took the world for granted because they thought their future was set. Although I don't regret ever making love to you before, I now think that we did it for the wrong reasons. We thought that since we were destined to rule the world, nothing should stop us from taking our relationship to the next step. We weren't prepared for the responsibilities that came with committing our bodies to each other." Usagi paused her psychoanalysis, as a shudder of pleasure made its way through her body caused by Mamoru suckling on her fingers. She raised her eyebrow sardonically, as if asking if she could continue. He just grinned rakishly as a low moan of pleasure escaped her lips. "I think that now we're better prepared to face the world in our new relationship because of all the trials we've gone through to get to this point. We took our relationship for granted, and it took so many tragedies for us to realize it."  
  
"You're right, Usako. Before, we thought that making love was the next logical step in our relationship but logic shouldn't dictate a relationship. Knowing our future played a big part of that logic and, although we were prepared mentally for what was going to happen, we weren't prepared emotionally to make love. We rushed ourselves and didn't fully understand why we were making love. Sure, it felt good and right, but we made love because we thought we were fulfilling our destiny," Mamoru said.  
  
"Don't you see, Mamo-chan? After being torn apart for so long, we're better able to appreciate our love for each other. We've realized that even without our soul bond, our love is eternal. In a way, our love is on stronger foundations now that the bond has been broken. We don't have that issue of whether we love each other just because of our past or not hanging over our heads. I know that that was a big fear of mine throughout our relationship. I was worried that you just loved me because you loved the princess I was a thousand years ago," Usagi whispered, unable to look into Mamoru's eyes. He lifted her chin with a finger.  
  
"I have never felt that our relationship was just based on prior events we don't even fully remember. I love every aspect of Tsukino Usagi, not just the part of her that was Princess Serenity. Usako, you are the missing half of my soul. Without your love, I am nothing." Satisfied with his declaration of love for her, Usagi lowered herself on his chest once again, listening to his heart beat in synch with hers.  
  
"Do you know what I want to do once this whole Metallion mess is over and done with, Mamo-chan?"  
  
"What, Usako?"  
  
"I want to retire from the superhero business. The way I figure it, the universe owes me a few hundred years worth of back vacation time and hazard pay. I think this is the last favour I'm doing the world and the Universal Council for a long, long time. I want to find an uninhabited island somewhere in the South Pacific and live there for the rest of my life with you and Kura. We'll start our relationship anew and build our future the way we want," Usagi said as she licked his nipple, earning a groan of appreciation from his lips.  
  
"That sounds wonderful, Usako," he gasped as her tongue did wicked things to his senses.  
  
"Do you think we can keep our relationship from the senshi for a while longer, maybe even keep it from them completely?" asked Usagi. When she felt Mamoru's body stiffen underneath her, she gazed at his face and saw hurt written all over it. Realizing that he misunderstood her intention, she rushed to remedy to situation. "It's not what you think, Mamo-chan. I just don't want them interfering in our lives again. Don't you realize how much they influence us? If they found out that we're working on our relationship again, they're automatically going to assume that that would mean picking up where we left off, with Crystal Tokyo looming in the distance and our destiny once again on its right course. I just want to live like a regular girl with Kura as my daughter and you as my husband and fade into anonymity. Before we can even think about building Crystal Tokyo, we have to think about building us and our family up again, without outside input. Please say you understand, Mamo-chan. I don't want to pretend that I don't love you, I just want to keep our love private," she gazed pleadingly into his eyes and was relieved when his expression softened as he took in her logic.  
  
"I completely understand. I'm honoured that you're still willing to marry me after all this time…"  
  
"As of this moment, everything that happened in the past, stays there. We will continue to mourn our child's loss, but everything else will be forgotten, including the curse I placed upon all of you. What I cannot give you back is your powers to transform, I'm afraid, and the soul bond is forever broken. But it doesn't matter, because you're still Prince Endymion, ruler of earth, and the girls are still the rulers of their planets. You all still have the power to fight Metallion as the royal court. The soul bond cannot be reforged, but this only means that we'll have to work twice as hard as we have before to make us work. I'm willing to try if you are," Usagi said.  
  
"As I said to you before, I will work for a thousand years to get your love back."  
  
"Good, because I personally wouldn't mind a thousand years of really good make-up sex," she said mischievously. She giggled softly when she felt him stiffen inside her. "It feels like you wouldn't mind it either."  
  
Mamoru growled and flipped them over, nearly causing her to shriek in delight. Her giggles turned into sighs of pleasure once Mamoru started to thrust slowly into her. She urged him to speed up by wrapping her legs around his hips and curling her toes. "Harder, Mamo-chan. Go faster." Mamoru obeyed until he too, was groaning out loud, not caring any more whether the other occupants heard them or not. They continued to make love until their release ten minutes later. They dozed for a while until Usagi looked out the window and noticed dawn approaching.  
  
Regretfully, she woke Mamoru up, who had fallen asleep on top of her. "Mamo-chan, I have to go. It's almost dawn."  
  
"Do you have to go, Usako?" he said while nuzzling her neck. Already, Usagi could feel her desire returning but forced herself to clamp it down, but not before an incoherent cry escaped her lips.  
  
"You're making this so difficult…But what if someone comes out? Or worse, what if Kura wakes up wondering where I've gone and finds us out here like this? You'll have to explain the birds and the bees to her then." Picturing Mamoru trying to explain the facts of life to a four year old who liked to ask too many questions made her stop and get up. "Come on, help me get dressed."  
  
Needless to say, it took them even longer to get dressed than to get undressed, for Mamoru kept on trying to make sure that Usagi's clothing, particularly her panties, still 'fit her'.  
  
"Come on, Usako. Let me just make sure that you're all covered down there…" he said after checking for the fourth time. He ran his fingers around the leg holes and felt around, making a thorough inspection. Usagi looked down at him with an expression mixed with amusement and lust. "Yep. Just as I thought. I have to go in for a closer look…"  
  
"MAMO-CHAN!" Usagi hissed. "This is the fourth time you've gone in for a 'closer look.' We've already been spent twenty minutes just trying to get my underwear on, for Kami's sake! In an hour and a half, everyone will be up and in here. The last thing I want them to see is your face between my legs going in for a closer look! I don't know about you, but I want to catch some sleep. Don't worry baby, we have a thousand years of getting to know each other again, we don't have to rush it. Not this time."  
  
"All right, you win." He stood up again to face her and pouted unconsciously. Usagi laughed and pecked him lightly, tasting herself on his lips.  
  
"You've been hanging around Kura too much. Good morning, my love. Sweet dreams," she said as she started walking back to her room.  
  
Sighing with happiness, Mamoru turned back to his bed only to hear Usagi calling him. "Psst! Mamo-chan!"  
  
Turning towards the sound of her voice, he asked, "what is it, Usako?"  
  
"This." She lifted her night shirt to expose her breasts. She cupped them and laughed at Mamoru's hypnotized expression as she began to tweak her own nipples. "Down boy. I think you need to get some rest. Your breathing is a little short." That being said, she let him have one last look before she dropped her shirt back down and headed back to her room for the last time. Mamoru snapped out of his trance two minutes after she had gone. 'Huh? What happened? I could have sworn Usako was just here.' Shrugging to himself, he lay on the couch and thank all the Kamis in heaven for another chance with Usagi.  
  
Usagi cautiously opened the door to her room. 'Good, everyone's still asleep. I feel like a new woman now that Mamo-chan and I have reaffirmed our love. I think the future will be even better now. I don't need to live in a crystal palace or to rule the world to be happy. I just need him by my side.' She gingerly tiptoed her way around the sleeping girls on the mattresses strewn about on the floor. She carefully eased her pillow out of Kura's embrace and climbed carefully into bed so as not to disturb Hotaru and Serena who were asleep beside Kura. As soon as was under the covers, Kura snuggled back into her side. Feeling something warm hugging her back, Kura sleepily opened her eyes and saw Usagi gazing lovingly at her.  
  
"Usagi-chan, you're back. I woked up but you weren't there so I went to look for you. I sawed you and Mamowu wrestling on the couch. I wanted to pway too but it was too dark to see and I was so tired. Why didn't you ask me to pway wif you guys? I thought you liked me," sniffled Kura innocently, hurt playing on her delicate features. Usagi's eyes bugged out as her worse fears came true. She scrambled for an explanation.  
  
"Oh baby. Mamoru and I weren't playing on the couch. We were…doing the secret club dance. That's it…the secret club dance. We didn't ask you to play with us because…you're too young to…dance like that. Promise me you won't do the secret club dance before you're old enough," faltered Usagi, cringing at the lame excuse that just popped into her head.  
  
"I pwomise, Usagi-chan. When will I be old enough to do the secwet club dance? It looks like fun. You kept telling Mamowu to dance faster and harder. Was Mamowu making the steps too easy and that's why you wanted to dance harder, Usagi-chan? Can Mamowu teach me the secwet club dance when I'm old enough?" Usagi had the grace to blush as she heard Kura recount her time on the couch with Mamoru. She hadn't realized that Kura was still awaiting an answer and was startled out of her daydream when she felt something tugging on her shirt.  
  
"Huh? Oh sorry about that sweetie. You wanted to know about the secret club dance. Let's see…well, you need to find the right partner before you can even ~begin~ to think about learning the secret club dance. Then you have to make sure you're ready-REALLY ready. The secret club dance is very special and you have to make sure that the your partner is the one you want to dance with forever. So, in answer to your question, Mamoru and I had lots of fun…dancing. When you're old enough, you have to find someone you love and learn how to dance together. Our dance together was very special so I'm going to trust you not to tell the other girls about it, okay? Can you do that for me, honey?" Usagi asked, desperately hoping that Kura would buy it and not ask any more embarrassing questions.  
  
"I pwomise I won't tell, Usagi-chan. It'll be our little secwet," she replied sweetly. Yawning softly, Kura curled herself into Usagi's side. "I love you, Usagi-chan. I wish you and Mamowu were my mommy and daddy for real."  
  
"I love you too, Kura. And Mamoru and I wish you were our baby for real," replied Usagi, her eyes misting over as she kissed the now sleeping girl before falling asleep herself.  
  
On the other side of the bed, Serena had heard the entire whispered conversation between Kura and Usagi and smiled softly to herself. She was by nature a light sleeper and, coupled with her secret agent training, was highly aware of the things going on around her, even in her sleep. She had heard the door creak open when Usagi crept out of bed three hours ago and thought little of it until she fell asleep again. The next time she heard the door open, she assumed it was Usagi coming back after being away for a few minutes and was astonished to find that it was almost dawn. She was about to question her counterpart about her three-hour disappearance when she heard Kura voicing her questions on the other side of Hotaru. Attributing her nosiness to concern, she unabashedly listened in and was amused at Usagi's 'secret club dance' excuse and by Kura's innocent questions. 'So she and Mamoru finally patched things up. Good for them. At least she still gets to be happy with him. Oh Darien, wherever you are, I love you so much. Wait for me, my love. I have a feeling we'll see each other very soon.'  
  
*******************  
  
Usagi woke up a few hours later, pleasantly sore and fully refreshed after her recent activities. Looking around the room, she once again noticed that she was the last one to wake up. Smiling inwardly, she forced her face to look calm and demure as she walked out the door. She bumped into Mamoru in the hallway, who was making his way to her room to wake her up.  
  
Looking around stealthily to make sure there was no one in the vicinity, she grabbed him by his shirt and gave him a short, but steamy kiss. "Hey handsome. Kura saw us last night on the couch so I told her that we were doing the 'secret club dance.'" She quickly filled Mamoru in on her early morning conversation with Kura and finished off by telling him that Kura wished that they were her parents.  
  
Mamoru couldn't stop the blush from creeping up his face when Usagi told him that Kura saw and heard their clandestine affair. Nevertheless, he couldn't help but chuckle at Usagi's quick thinking save. "I'm impressed, Usako. You managed to explain what we were doing without being too specific. Plus, you managed to throw in a moral to the story. NOW I know why Kura kept looking at me and giggling. She's been doing that all morning. I have a feeling our little secret isn't going to be one for long."  
  
"Hmmm. As long as we're together at the end, I'm happy. So what's everyone doing?" she asked as she leaned into a kiss.  
  
"Oh, the girls and the cats decided to go to Central a half hour ago to hunt down Metallion and her headquarters. They didn't want take Kura with them just in case something goes wrong and I wouldn't let them wake you so I volunteered to stay behind to take care of the both of you." Usagi smiled.  
  
"How chivalrous of you, my prince. Am I to understand that we're alone in this apartment? How ever will we pass the time?" she asked coyly as Mamoru lifted her up against the wall. She wrapped her legs around her waist and was just about to unbutton his shirt when Kura appeared in the hallway, putting a stop to their passion. Mamoru and Usagi stared at Kura like deer caught in the headlights.  
  
"Good morning, Usagi-chan. Are you and Mamowu going to do the secwet dance now? Nobody's home so you guys can do it now." Mamoru and Usagi winced at Kura's accurate choice of words. "Can I watch?"  
  
Eyeing each other and silently debating who would explain their predicament to Kura, Usagi sighed as it became apparent that she would have to do it. She knelt down so that she was at eye level with Kura. "Remember what I told you when I came back from dancing with Mamoru? The secret club dance is very special and it's to be shared only between people who love each other. So, I'm afraid that we can't show you."  
  
Kura tilted her head to the side. "But I thought you loved me too." Mamoru joined Usagi and Kura in the conversation.  
  
"Of course we love you, Kura. But the secret club dance is only for people who love each other like mommies and daddies. Besides, you're too young to know about the dance. We should have been more careful about dancing around you."  
  
"That's okay, Mamowu. You and Usagi love each other like a mommy and daddy does. Does that mean you love me like your baby?" Usagi and Mamoru smiled and nodded with tears in their eyes. Kura reached out and engulfed them in a hug. Mamoru picked her up and tossed her into the air, causing her to squeal with delight when he caught her in his arms.  
  
"Mamoru! Be careful!" Usagi scolded, already feeling like the overprotective mom. Mamoru and Kura just rolled their eyes at her exaggeratedly and giggled. Usagi heaved a long-suffering sigh and just accepted that she was fighting a losing battle when it came to them ganging up on her. She couldn't help but smile when Mamoru and Kura bent down and kissed her cheeks. "Let's get some breakfast." Laughing, the trio made their way to the kitchen, the picture of a happy family.  
  
Usagi sat down on Mamoru's lap as they ate breakfast. Feeling left out, Kura asked to sit on Usagi's lap. Usagi picked her up and set her down on top of them. Mamoru groaned, pretending to be crushed by the added weight. "Oof…help me! I…can't…breathe!"  
  
Kura giggled helplessly. "You're so silly, Mamowu!"  
  
"He is, isn't he Kura-chan?" said Usagi in a whispered that was meant to be heard.  
  
"Yeah, but you love him," Kura concluded happily.  
  
"I do."  
  
And so, the happy family continued to take full advantage of their time alone. A few hours later, the girls and the cats came back to the apartment after conducting a fruitful search for their arch nemesis and saw Kura asleep on the couch, laying on top of Mamoru and Usagi's thighs, while they watched TV. Their eyes widened at having been caught, while everyone else tactfully didn't say anything, although they were dying to. Serena smiled secretively at Usagi, who in turn gave her a questioning look. Serena nodded and smiled even wider as she gestured almost imperceptibly with her head at the sleeping child cradled between them. This time it was Usagi who nodded and blushed. The girls watched the whole exchange but knew better than to question them.  
  
Finally, after much innuendo between the two girls and Mamoru, who had caught on to what they were silently discussing, Mina cleared her throat tentatively. "Um, Usagi-san? We found out some interesting things about Metallion."  
  
"Sure Mina. Hang on for a second while I put Kura down in our room." Mamoru helped Usagi shift Kura over so that she could carry her. The girls couldn't help but notice the tender nature with which Mamoru helped Usagi pick up the sleeping girl, or the gentle kiss he lay upon Kura's forehead. Mina was dying to ask if they had reconciled, but knew that she had lost the right to pry such questions out of Usagi.  
  
"Do you need help carrying her, Usak..gi?" Mamoru blushed when he almost slipped on Usagi's name and prayed that the others had missed it. By their confused faces, he doubted it.  
  
"No thanks, Mamo…ru. I'm sure everyone's really hungry from being at Central all day. Have you guys eaten yet? Mamoru, why don't you feed them with the leftover pasta we made for lunch while I put Kura to bed? She's all tired out from playing house and reading stories. I'll be right back." The girls-except for Serena and Makoto, who was beginning to put her own conclusions together-and the cats' jaws dropped to the floor. Since when was Usagi in such a good mood, or for that matter, concerned about their state of hunger? And since when did Usagi and Mamoru play house together, even if it was for the sake of a four-year-old girl? All eyes turned to Mamoru, who was busying himself with heating up the leftover spaghetti and trying his hardest to ignore their stares, although it proved to be quite a feat, for these girls weren't known for their discreet natures, especially when it came to relationships.  
  
Thankfully, before the inquisition could begin, Usagi came back into the room. "I'm back! So what did you guys find out?"  
  
Luna stepped forward and jumped into Ami's arms. "Well, since we now know Metallion's assumed identity, we were able to track down where she goes when she's not out and about. Apparently, she has already taken over the Imperial Palace and has locked up the Royal Family in a dungeon."  
  
"A dungeon, dungeon? Like, with bars and shackles on a stone wall with water dripping down from the ceiling and rats running all over the place like in the movies, kind of dungeon? I wasn't even aware the palace had one of those," contemplated Mamoru with a faraway look on his face. Usagi shot him an annoyed glance and he smiled sheepishly. "Sorry."  
  
"Apparently it does because they're locked up in there. We tapped into the security system and used the cameras to take a peek inside," explained Michiru.  
  
"How did you guys manage to do that? I would have thought that there would be a security code or something like that," inquired Usagi.  
  
"We're just getting to that. Since the Imperial Palace was the government headquarters in Serena's world, she took a wild guess and typed in her access code and voila! We got instant access to everything, including the layout of the building," Hotaru explained excitedly. Even though she was a senshi, she was still a child and was therefore easily impressed at being part of the espionage. Out of all the senshi, Hotaru was the most eager to go out at night on their missions.  
  
"Did you feel any weird vibes, Rei?" asked Usagi. The others shifted their attention to the former priestess who lingered in the background, seemingly hesitant to offer any input as to what they have discovered about Metallion. This was the first time Usagi had spoken to Rei since their big blow up.  
  
"Um yeah, out in the gardens. I felt a tremendous power gathering there. My guess is that Metallion's preparing to open up the portal between worlds. But I don't know, it's just a hunch," faltered Rei.  
  
"That would make sense. Her plan to capture us has failed, her plan to brainwash the world's leaders has failed, and there is no more Metallia in this world to assimilate with. Why not just ditch the entire operation and start on a new world?" hypothesized Usagi. "Ami, could you and Serena determine whether or not Rei is right about this?"  
  
Ami nodded and booted up the laptop. Serena tapped into the palace security system and scanned through the various camera angles in the gardens until she found Yamada standing in the middle of the hedge maze. The image was fuzzy but the girls could see that she was standing in front of a small portal. Ami did some quick calculations based on the approximate size and electricity emitting from it. "My guess is that Metallion is indeed preparing to open up a portal and that it will be ready by midnight tonight."  
  
Mamoru cursed underneath his breath. "Is there any way you could be wrong about this, Ami?"  
  
Ami looked slightly affronted at Mamoru's question. "Yes there is. I calculate the margin of error to be 0.02%. Any more questions?"  
  
Usagi smirked at Mamoru's peeved expression. He looked like he couldn't decide who to throttle first, Metallion or Ami. "Oh by the way, guys. I've been thinking about this for a while, and I've decided to lift the curses I've placed upon you. You're no longer linked to each other, and you aren't doomed to live eternally without the ability to die."  
  
The girls looked at each other in astonishment. "What about our senshi powers?" asked Makoto hesitantly.  
  
Usagi shook her head. "Unfortunately, stripping a senshi of her powers is irreversible as Luna as already told you. If it were, I would've reversed her spell by now. But don't worry, you'll still be able to use your planet powers. Just don't forget your chopsticks. You'll need all the help you can get to focus your powers tonight."  
  
"Do you mind if I ask you what made you change your mind?" asked Mina timidly.  
  
"No…I just thought that I don't want to carry around all this hate anymore. It's become more of a burden to carry than the pain of your betrayal. I wanted to be free of all negativity just in case…"  
  
"So…you forgive us?"  
  
"I'm working on it. That's all I can say for now."  
  
"So what's the game plan for tonight?" asked Haruka after an awkward silence.  
  
"Simple. We go in, kick Metallion's ass for a while, destroy the portal and go home, secure in the knowledge that once again, the senshi have saved the world from certain annihilation," joked Makoto.  
  
"Precisely. This is our last chance to rid the world of the threat of Metallion. If we fail tonight, Metallion will not only destroy our world, but she'll also be free to move on to another. There is no need to plan for this. We're not looking to sneak into the palace and sneak out again. We blast our way in and blast our way out," Setsuna said grimly as the others gulped nervously. "The fate of the world hangs in the balance. Tonight is our last chance. We must stop that portal from opening before midnight or all is lost. The key to her destruction is most likely that black crystal hanging from her neck. We have a big advantage over her, however. Once we get in, we cover Usagi-chan and Serena-chan. They must conserve all their energy if they are to use the crystals on Metallion. She apparently doesn't know about Serena or the fact that she has a second Silver crystal. If we all pool our powers through Usagi and Serena's crystals, we just might be able to defeat her."  
  
"No pressure, right Setsuna?" drawled Haruka, earning her a scowl from the Time Guardian.  
  
"We have another problem. What do we do about Kura? We can't take her with us nor can we just leave her here with the cats. She needs someone who is able to protect her in case something goes wrong and we don't come back…" Usagi trailed off. She turned her frightened eyes to Mamoru.  
  
"Why don't we take her to Okata? He seems trustworthy and he already knows who we are. We can tell him about the mission tonight and ask him to take care of her while we're gone," he suggested.  
  
"I guess that'll have to do. We don't have much choice," conceded Usagi. "Mamoru and I will go to the club and ask him to help us. If Kura wakes up, tell her that we've gone out for a walk and that we'll be back soon." Looking cautiously out the window, Mamoru and Usagi climbed out on the fire escape and made their way to the strip club where Okata's group was situated.  
  
****************  
  
Later that night at the club  
  
"Usagi-chan, Mamowu, pwease don't leave me here! I want to go with you! You pwomised to be my mommy and daddy!" Kura sobbed brokenly on Usagi's neck, unwilling to part from her newfound family.  
  
Usagi wept along with her as she held onto Mamoru for support. Okata looked at them piteously, regretting the fact that the little girl would probably never see either one of them again. He backed off into the corner to give the broken couple some time alone with their adopted daughter. "Kura, my little girl, we have to go. We have to stop the bad guys from destroying the world. We love you, baby. Don't worry, we'll be back to get you tomorrow."  
  
Kura cried harder. "I don't want you to go! Pwease mommy, don't leave me! Daddy…"  
  
"We love you Kura. Be good for Okata-san, okay? Please understand Kura. This is the last time we'll leave you alone, we promise. When we come back, your mommy and I will take you on a vacation, just the three of us. We'll live in a beautiful house and we'll be a family. We promise. We love you more than anything in the world," Mamoru said, unshed tears gathering in his eyes.  
  
"You pwomise? We'll be a family? You'll be my daddy and Usagi-chan will by my new mommy?"  
  
"We promise Kura-chan. The three of us are a family already. We love you," whispered Usagi through her tears.  
  
"I love you too, mommy. I love you daddy." Giving them one last kiss and hug, Kura watched her new parents walk down the stairs and out the door.  
  
Once outside, Usagi sank to her knees and broke down on the sidewalk. "Oh Mamo-chan…why does this have to be so hard? Why are my children always being taken away from me? Don't I deserve to be a mother?" For once, Mamoru didn't have an answer, so he just let her cry on his shoulder. When she was all cried out, they made their way to the sewers where the rest of the girls were waiting.  
  
"How did it go?" whispered Setsuna. She didn't get an answer for Usagi buried her face in the crook of Mamoru's neck. By now, the others had pretty much figured out that Usagi and Mamoru had patched things up and obviously didn't want the others to know or interfere. Without a word, the sad couple turned and led the way to the palace, leaving the others to follow behind at a respectable distance.  
  
*******************  
  
Once they had reached the gates of the Imperial Palace, Usagi stopped and faced the group with a look of determination upon her face. "You guys know what to do, right? We blast anything that comes our way, youma or civilian. We shoot first and ask questions later. Cover Serena and me once we're in. Metallion must not know that Serena has another crystal so she stays in the background until we're ready to take her on. The Outers can transform into their senshi forms and Mamoru can transform into Prince Endymion. We can't transform into our princess forms until we're face to face with Metallion. Don't worry; you'll still be able to use your powers like back when you were training in the apartment with Setsuna-chan and Hotaru-chan. This way, we conserve our energy and our dresses won't trip us up. From this point on, Serena will be the leader. She's the one most familiar with the surroundings, so whatever she says, goes. Any questions?" Rei raised her hand timidly. "Yes, Rei?"  
  
"Um…we know how to channel our powers through our…chopsticks, but how do we transform into our princes forms?"  
  
"Simple. Say, I Princess (state your name), invoke the power of (state your planet). There's no fancy lightshow or acrobatics when we change into these forms. You just say that phrase in your head and poof! you're a princess. Anything else? Let's go," Usagi said.  
  
One by one, they climbed out of the sewers and flanked Usagi and Serena. The Outers and Mamoru had already transformed and the Inners had pulled out their chopsticks. Serena directed them to an area of the garden wall closest to the portal. Stealthily, they scaled the smooth stone wall and dropped silently down the other side. Using hand signals, Serena indicated that they were to head for the hedge maze located a few hundred feet to their left. Usagi looked around the garden filled with rose bushes and cherry trees. A thick fog began to roll in over the hills of the estate. 'This looks like the garden in my dream.'  
  
As they ran to the maze, they encountered a few of the palace guards, whom Mamoru had quickly taken care of by running his sword through their bodies. They opted to wound the youma just enough for them not to be able to pursue, instead of exerting vast amounts of energy to dust them in order to save their strength for the final battle with Metallion. Serena led them through the maze's twists and turns without error. Just before entering the centre of the labyrinth, the girls turned into the princesses they were more than a thousand years ago.  
  
Princess Serenity (Usagi) and Princess Serena peered around the corner and found about a dozen youma circling Yamada and Sato, both of whom were holding a conference by what looked to be a portal, growing larger by the minute. Suddenly, Yamada looked up. "So you've come at last, senshi. I can feel your power emanating from you and let me just say, it's no match against mine. Prepare to meet your doom." Before their eyes, Yamada's flesh turned pale and sallow. Her chin length black hair grew down to her waist and turned dark purple. Her hands became gnarled and her nails turned claw-like while her sleek business suit morphed into a low cut, form- fitting black dress, and her black crystal nestled in the valley of her breasts. Upon hearing her speak, Sato retreated behind Metallion, intent on staying out of harm's way.  
  
The senshi, both Inner and Outer, stepped out of their hiding place accompanied by Prince Endymion, leaving Serenity and Serena enshrouded in the shadows. Endymion glared at Metallion and gripped the handle of his sword. "Get off my planet, witch."  
  
"Why Prince Endymion, how nice of you to make an appearance, but you must be mistaken. When the bell in the clock tower tolls midnight, your world will be no more," Metallion replied. She scanned the girls in front of her and did a quick calculation. "But what's this? Don't tell me your little girlfriend decided not to show up to the party. How rude of her."  
  
Motioning to Serena to stay put, Princess Serenity stepped out into the open. "I'm here, you bitch. Let's get this over with."  
  
Metallion smirked. "So you have more guts than I thought you did. Your little crystal is no match for my dark crystal, however. I have merged with a thousand versions of myself from different dimensions and concentrated our power into this crystal. Go ahead girlie, give me your best shot."  
  
"Gladly." Metallion nodded her head and the youma pounced on the senshi.  
  
"Don't tell me you're going to try and poke my eye out with that thing," a youma sneered as Minako waved her chopstick in the air, before blasting a hole through it's heart, causing it to disintegrate immediately.  
  
"See ya in hell, bitch," Mina quipped, already moving on to the next monster dueling with Haruka.  
  
The girls blasted the youma with their powers while Endymion charged his sword with his powers and used it to hack at the youma. Serenity watched the battle between the senshi and the youma, never taking her eyes off of Metallion. Both women stared each other down, each daring the other to make the first move. Sparks shot out of their crystals, getting them ready as if the were cars whose engines were being revved at the start of a race. Serenity barely noticed Sato fading slowly into the background, assuming that he was retreating like the coward he was. The battle raged on for another ten minutes until the last of the youma had finally been reduced to dust.  
  
Endymion turned to Serenity, breathing heavily, exhausted from his battle with the youma. His eyes suddenly widened as he caught sight of Sato about to stab her with a knife. Without even thinking, he thrust his sword into Sato's side but not before the knife made a tear into the skirt of Serenity's gown, barely grazing her back. Sato sank to the ground, his hand over the wound trying in vain to stop the bleeding. He took large gulps of air before twisting his mouth in an ugly sneer. "You'll never win, Tsukino. My mistress is all omnipotent. Once Metallion-sama kills you all, she will make me her right-hand man. She is the key to greatness. You should have quit while you had the chance."  
  
"What about Kura and your son? Where do they fit in your grand plan, Sato?" Mamoru snarled.  
  
Sato smiled madly. "I offered up the boy's energy to our cause but the girl ran off before I could perform the ritual. It wasn't a big loss; I had already proven my undying loyalty to Metallion," he said, coughing up blood.  
  
"You son of a bitch. How could you kill your son for that monster?" Princess Serenity cried. Unable to hear anymore of his misguided praises, she picked up the knife that was meant for her and stabbed him in the chest, ending his life. "I did you a favour, Sato."  
  
Behind her, Serenity heard Metallion's cold laughter. "It was so easy to lure him to my side once I've lured him into my bed. No matter, he was just one of my little pawns; he's of little importance. Say hi to Queen Serenity for me, will you?" And with that, Metallion shot a beam of energy at Serenity, who was just able to dodge it.  
  
Rolling on the ground, she saw that the Outers had formed a protective barrier where Serena was hiding and that the Inners had formed a similar barrier around her. Endymion knocked her back down to the ground just as another blast of energy was hurtled towards her. Serenity focused her power on the crystal, making it glow.  
  
"You think you can stop me with that worthless rock?" sneered Metallion.  
  
"No but two of these 'worthless rocks' should be enough to kick your ass good and dead," countered Serena, emerging from the shadows. Metallion whirled around at the sound of her voice in shock. "If you think you're seeing double, think again. I was brought in by the Universal Council from the last dimension you destroyed to help this world get rid of you."  
  
"Ah yes. I enjoyed killing your little friends and especially killing your lover," taunted Metallion.  
  
Refusing to take the bait, Princess Serena made her way to Princess Serenity, flanked by the Outers and stood by her side. The girls stood behind the princesses and Mamoru, holding hands. Each girl invoked the powers of their planets and gave it to the holders of the Silver Crystals. Endymion, being the most powerful one next to Serenity and Serena, fed his energy, which was amplified by his close proximity to the earth, to Serenity, who in turn used it to strengthen the crystal. Both crystals now received power boosts that equaled the power of Metallion's black crystal. Undaunted, Metallion began gathering her energy as the portal behind her grew ever larger.  
  
"You'll never beat me, Moon brats. It's already too late. The portal is nearly at its peak. You won't be able to close it, not even if you had another crystal with you," laughed Metallion. The portal was pulling everything in, from the dead bodies of the youma and Sato to small shrubs and rocks. The roar of the wind made it hard to hear anything.  
  
Both sides blasted each other at the same time, Serena and Serenity's silver energy meeting Metallion's red energy in the middle. They fought for control but were evenly matched. At times, Metallion gained the advantage, pushing their energy back at them, and at other times, it was Metallion struggling to maintain control. Serenity called to her senshi mentally, begging them for more power and rallying them for another round. With their strength draining quickly, they began praying to their planets' guardians for more power. Endymion called to Mother Earth and felt the power seeping into his body and flowing to Serenity's. Their bodies began to glow in their planets' colours as they received the much-needed energy. Just as they managed to break through Metallion's defenses and shattered her black crystal, she shot an energy ball of her own to Serena, knocking her down. Their strength gone, the senshi also fell to the ground in exhaustion, unconscious. Serenity and Endymion were the only ones left standing.  
  
Metallion's dying screams were drowned out by Serenity's scream as she watched Serena fall. "NO!! Serena!" In the distance, the bell began to toll as the hour approached midnight. Around them, small fires burned the hedges, the wind scattering the ashes like snow falling from the sky. Metallion lay on the ground with her eyes wide open, dead.  
  
"Serena hang on! I have enough energy left to heal you with the crystal!" Serenity cried as she cradled Serena's body.  
  
Serena shook her head weakly, her face already pale as her blood escaped from the gaping wound in her chest. "Don't you dare, Usagi. I have been waiting for this moment for a long time. Finally, I can see my Darien again." Serenity wept as Serena's breathing slowed. "He's waiting for me on the other side. Good-bye, sister." Serena stopped breathing as the bell struck midnight, the clear tone resonating throughout the garden.  
  
The ground beneath them rumbled as the portal had finally reached its peak. 'Kami-sama! This is my dream! The bell…I know what I must do.' Setting Serena gently on the ground, Serenity rose and turned to Endymion. "My love, I must stop the portal from destroying the earth."  
  
Endymion looked at her worriedly. "How are you going to do that? Metallion said that once the portal was opened, we couldn't close it."  
  
Serenity smiled sadly. "She's wrong, there is another way. I must go into the portal itself and use the crystal to stop it from inside."  
  
Endymion gripped her arms in a fierce hold. "I won't let you do it, Serenity. It's too dangerous."  
  
"I must; it's my duty. Don't worry love, one way or another, I'll see you again."  
  
"Then let me go with you."  
  
"You must stay behind for Kura. Now that her entire family is gone, she's going to need you to take care of her," Serenity said tearfully.  
  
"Usako please, let me come with you. We can close this thing together," pleaded Endymion.  
  
"I know what I'm doing, my prince. If all goes according to my plan, we'll see each other very soon and everything will be as it should be. If not, I'll await your arrival in heaven with our baby."  
  
"Usako…" Knowing that Serenity had already made up her mind, he kissed her deeply until he felt her gently pushing him away.  
  
"I have to go, Endy. I love you with every fibre of my being. I'll see you soon."  
  
"I love you too, Usako," whispered Endymion as he watched Serenity hurl herself into the abyss. Sparks shot out of the portal before it imploded in a brilliant white light followed by a shockwave like that of an atomic bomb, knocking Endymion to the ground. When he could finally see again, Endymion saw that the hedge maze had been flattened out and everything within a few thousand feet of the portal had been destroyed. In vain, he searched for Serenity but could not find her. Around him, the senshi began to stir and awaken. They too, helped him find Serenity but gave up after fruitlessly searching for a half hour.  
  
"She's gone forever," Endymion whispered as tears rolled down his face. Suddenly, the winds picked up as lightning streaked across the sky. The earth started to shake violently underneath their feet as the sky darkened ominously overhead.  
  
"What's going on?!" cried Hotaru. She got no answer however, as one by one, everyone and everything started to fade from existence.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
The end…sort of. Stay tuned for the epilogue. I know some of you must hate me for writing the sex scene between Mamoru and Usagi, but if it was the end of the world, I don't think there's a better way to go, don't you? Talk about leaving with a BANG! Anyways, got to get my mind out of the gutter. Please review my little story, oh faithful readers. Your opinions mean a lot to me, seeing as this is my first fic. 


	12. Epilogue-New Life

Well, here it is: the last installment of my story. Thank you all for sticking with this story and for all the positive, and even not so positive, reviews. SM isn't mine so don't expect any money when you sue me. Anyway, on with the story!  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Epilogue-New Life  
  
Mamoru's POV  
  
I wake up to the sound of the waves crashing on the beach coming through the open window. The balmy breeze flutters the curtain and ruffles her hair until I am surrounded in my own curtain of gold. I look at the golden angel sleeping next to me, with her head on my shoulder and her arm across my chest, and I shudder to think that I almost lost her that night fifteen years ago. I hold her tighter as the memory comes back to me, as clear as if it just happened yesterday.  
  
Flashback  
  
'What am I doing here?' I thought to myself as Rei ranted about Usako's behaviour for the past few weeks.  
  
"…I say we kick her off the team," I heard Rei say.  
  
I reflect back on the last two weeks and indeed, I could understand what Rei was talking about. She was right; Usako had been acting a little strange during the youma fights and she won't tell me what's bothering her. If Usako isn't more careful, she could wind up getting seriously hurt and that is the last thing I want. I feel my mouth opening and hear myself tell them that I agreed with Rei and that threatening to kick her off the team just might scare her enough to take her responsibilities more seriously.  
  
The meeting progresses until Rei wonders whether or not Usagi's powers could be taken away from her without her knowledge. Is that what I want? If we take away her powers, she won't be able to fight in the battles anymore. She'll be safe from harm and we'll be able to protect her better. Her safety is the number one priority in my life.  
  
"Now wait a minute, everyone. Don't you guys think we should talk to Usagi about this before we make such a decision regarding her life?" I hear Artemis exclaim. Good point, Artemis. It's not our right to strip her of her powers without her here to defend herself. "Who are we to talk about taking away her powers? Don't forget, you're not just talking about Sailor Moon, you're also talking about your princess and future queen." Yet another good point. How's Usako going to react when she finds out that we conspired to get rid of her powers?  
  
Luna dismisses Artemis' concerns as she always does and one by one, the girls rationalize getting rid of Sailor Moon. The girls that Usako thought of as sisters don't deserve her friendship after hearing what it is they really thought of her. It hurts to think that I'm a party to this but if I want to keep Usako safe then this is what I have to do…isn't it?  
  
"…We all know that Usa-chan is the worst fighter on the team," finishes Makoto rather arrogantly in my opinion. They all look to me as if they were expecting me to say something. I want to defend my princess against their verbal attacks, prove to them that they were wrong in their opinion of her. I want to tell them not to go through with this betrayal.  
  
"If she's not fighting anymore, we'll be able to protect our princess from harm during the fights. She'll be able to focus more on her studies and her duties as the future queen." DAMN! That is NOT what I wanted to say but it's already too late. I can't take it back. I stare at Artemis wistfully as he leapt out the window. Please take me with you, Artemis. I've just betrayed my love in the worst possible way.  
  
I nod blankly as Luna asked us if this is what we really wanted. This has gone too far. I should stop this. Why am I just sitting here watching Luna about to perform the ritual that would undo Usako's birthright? Just as Luna began to chant the words of the spell, a bright light flashed throughout the room and a portal appeared. The girls immediately transformed but I chose to wait and see what was going to step out of the portal before I actually attacked it. Beside me, I hear Luna continuing the spell, so deep in her trance that she doesn't even realize what's going on in front of her.  
  
To my shock, Usako herself stepped out of the portal. She took one look around the room and seeing Luna chanting, she shouted "NO LUNA!" before she sent a shockwave in her direction, breaking the spell. The girls saw this as a hostile action and immediately started to power up their attacks. I jumped in front of Usako, shielding her with my body just as the attacks came our way. The girls forcibly reigned their attacks in when they realized that I was protecting her.  
  
"What are you doing, Mamoru-san? Didn't you see that she tried to kill Luna?" exclaimed Rei.  
  
"Can't you see that this is Usagi YOU'RE trying kill?" I countered.  
  
"If this is Usagi-chan, why would she be trying to harm one of her friends?" Minako asked.  
  
Behind me, I felt Usako stiffen in anger. "If you were MY friends, why would you be trying to remove my powers without my knowledge?" We gasped in surprise. How did she know what we were about to do? Did she feel us doing the spell? "I'm Usagi about nine a half months from the future. I came here to warn you that what you are about to do is the catalyst for the end of the world. When I left my time, the world was about to be blown to bits because the enemy opened a portal that would destroy it before she moved on to the next. I can't tell you much more because I don't have much time."  
  
The girls look at Usako in skepticism. Makoto stepped forward. "Oh yeah? If your world did explode, why aren't you dead?"  
  
Usako growled in impatience. "I've been having dreams warning me about the final battle. In the last one, I was warned to escape through the Time Corridor just before I destroyed the portal from within. I followed the Corridor until it led me here. I realized that to give myself everything I had lost on this night, I had to stop you all from accomplishing your task."  
  
"Everything you lost? What do you mean?" I asked her.  
  
"That is for your Usagi to tell you, but you must hurry. As we speak, Usagi is headed for your apartment, Mamoru, with some important news. You must find her before what happened to me, happens to her."  
  
My blood chilled at her ominous warning. "Tell me where she is."  
  
"As I remember, I was just three blocks away from your building when it happened. Look for her in the alley between the flower shop and the video store," she replied. Alley? What would Usako be doing in an alley at this time of night? Usagi looks at me as I finally realize what it was she was trying to tell me. "Hurry, you don't have much time."  
  
"Let's go, senshi," I commanded after I had finished transforming. We were on our way out the door when I hear her calling back to me.  
  
"Just another thing. Watch out for a Yamada Yuko in the coming months. She's the key. The enemy will use her to get to you, but before she does, you MUST destroy the black crystal. Promise me that you'll do that," she pleaded.  
  
"I promise…Usako. Thank you," I replied, repeating the name over and over in my mind so I won't forget.  
  
She smiled as she began to fade from existence. "I love you, Mamo- chan. Don't worry; I'm sure she'll forgive you. I did."  
  
We raced to the alley where Usagi told us she would be. As we approached it, I heard a menacing voice say, "Bitch, that's the last time you run away from me." I heard Usako's frightened voice begging him not to hurt her and to let her go. I increased my speed and reached the opening of the alley only to see that the attacker had knocked her out and had begun to remove her clothes. Usako's transformation broach lay a few feet away from her.  
  
Seeing Usako lying helpless on the dirty ground fueled a rage in me that I did not know I was capable of. With a flying leap, I tackled the man to the ground and started to beat him senseless. I didn't stop until I felt the girls trying to pull me off of him. I struggled against them, wanting to feel the life being squeezed of him as I wrapped my fingers around his neck.  
  
"STOP Mamoru-san! You're going to kill him!" cried Rei as she tried to restrain me.  
  
"So, is that such a bad thing?" I growled. I lunged at his unconscious body again only to have Makoto grip me in a headlock.  
  
"Mamoru-san, you have to check on Usagi. I think she's just unconscious but it's better to be safe than sorry. Ami-chan has called the police already so we better detransform," she grunted, struggling to keep me in her hold. When she felt me detransform, she released me and reverted to civilian form. I couldn't resist kicking Usako's would-be rapist in the ribs before I ran to check on her. I felt her neck and was relieved to feel her pulse beating steadily.  
  
When the police and the ambulance arrived, the rapist was placed in handcuffs and Usako on a stretcher, ready to be taken to the hospital. Before I left in the ambulance with her, I told the girls to call Usako's parents to let them know what had happened and that she was okay.  
  
At the hospital, the doctors ran tests on Usako and determined that she hadn't been raped. Since Usako's parents weren't there yet, and I had told everyone present that I was her boyfriend, the doctor decided to give me their diagnosis on Usako's condition.  
  
"Well Chiba-san, although you aren't related to her, I felt I could make this exception in your case seeing as how you're her boyfriend. You'll be happy to know that Tsukino-san and your baby will be fine," Dr. Yashida pronounced.  
  
I felt my knees go weak. "Baby?"  
  
Dr. Yashida paled. "Oh my, she didn't tell you yet. Well, I guess the cat's out of the bag, as the saying goes. Yes, Tsukino-san is indeed six weeks pregnant. The baby wasn't harmed in any way, so don't worry about that. What I would worry about, however, is Tsukino-san's emotional state when she wakes up. Please try to keep her as calm as possible for the sake of the child. Also, I think you should start to worry about what her father's going to say about this. I think I'll let you two break this news to him yourselves."  
  
I felt myself sinking to the chair as Dr. Yashida patted me on the back in sympathy and congratulations. We're going to have a baby? Usako's carrying MY child? This must have been what the future Usagi meant when she said that she was giving herself back what she had lost on this night. If we went through with our plan to get rid of Usako's powers, she might have lost the baby. I feel guilt mixing in with my relief that Usako's okay and sheer happiness knowing that our baby was fine.  
  
The doors to the waiting room burst open and Mr. and Mrs. Tsukino and Shingo hurried through, worry etched on their faces, followed by the girls. Upon seeing me, Mrs. Tsukino ran into my arms and wept.  
  
"Thank-you Mamoru-san, for saving my baby tonight. The girls told us that you found her being beaten in the alley and stopped the man from doing more harm to my Usagi. I don't think I can ever thank you enough," she cried, squeezing me so tightly that I could hardly breathe. Now I know where Usako gets her tendency to give such powerful bear hugs.  
  
When Mrs. Tsukino pulled away, I was surprised to see Mr. Tsukino step forward and grudgingly shake my hand. "Yes, well…I too owe you my gratitude for saving my little girl tonight. Please know that you are always welcome in my home and you are free to court my daughter without my objections." I bowed respectfully and gratefully, although wondering how he would react once he finds out that I had gotten his little girl pregnant.  
  
The girls and I wait while the Tsukino family visits Usako in her room while I filled the girls in on Usako's condition.  
  
"She's pregnant! Why didn't she tell us?" asked Minako in disbelief.  
  
"According to the future Usagi, she was on her way to Mamoru's apartment tonight to give him some important news. My guess is that she was going to let him know that she was pregnant tonight," said Ami.  
  
I filled them in on my hypothesis that were we not stopped by Usagi, she would have been raped tonight and lost the baby. The girls gasp softly.  
  
"What have we done? We were going to risk Usagi-chan's life and the life of her child because we thought she was being irresponsible. We don't deserve to be her friends," whispered Makoto. I couldn't help but agree with her on that.  
  
"It's all my fault," whispered Rei. "A few weeks ago, I overheard her tell Haruna-sensei that she was one month pregnant while she was in detention. I waited for her to tell us about it, but when she didn't, I thought that maybe she was afraid of what our reactions would be. I also feared for her safety and the safety of the baby during the youma fights so I decided to try and get Usagi-chan kicked off the team, or have her powers taken away, so that we can keep her out of harm's way forever. Please forgive me, minna. I was only trying to do the right thing by our princess."  
  
My heart softened at Rei's intentions, although in hindsight, taking away her powers would have been the most ineffective way of protecting Usako. I patted her shoulder comfortingly and made sure that she knew I bore no ill feelings towards her. Suddenly the door to Usako's room opened and her parents stepped out.  
  
"Mamoru, girls, Usa would like to see you now," said Mrs. Tsukino.  
  
When we got inside the room, we saw Usako lying on the bed facing the window, rubbing her stomach in a maternal way. She turned when she heard us come in and smiled. She looked beautiful despite the bruise on her cheek.  
  
"Mamo-chan, minna," she cried as she opened her arms to hug me. I felt Usako shaking in my arms as she wept. "Thank you for saving me from that monster tonight. I have something to tell you Mamo-chan, but I don't know how you're going to react. You see, I was on my way to your place tonight to tell you that I'm pregnant."  
  
"I know," I replied, smiling at her astonished face.  
  
"How did you know?"  
  
"The doctor accidentally told me after he finished running tests on you to make sure you're okay. I'm so happy Usako. You've made me the happiest person in the world," I said, hugging her.  
  
Usako beamed. "There's just one thing I was wondering. When I fought that guy in the alley, my transformation began to reverse. A few seconds after it started to reverse, it started to go back to normal again just as the guy found me. Don't worry, he didn't see my transformation because he knocked my broach from my hand when he hit me from behind. Do you guys know what happened?"  
  
The girls and I looked at each other guiltily. We started to explain to her about our secret meeting at the temple, her future self warning us to stop what we were doing and what was happening to her at that moment. Usako took the news in with a cold, blank look upon her face, her posture rigid and her breathing heavy.  
  
"Please forgive us, Usako. We didn't know-"  
  
"Get out."  
  
"Please Usagi-chan, listen to us…"  
  
"I said get out. I need to think and some time away from all of you." We nodded our heads sadly and walked out the door.  
  
End flashback  
  
Usako was discharged the same night and I sat outside her window all night, watching her cry. It broke my heart to see her so sad but knew that it would take time for us to mend our relationship again. She cried all through the night, her parents assuming it was just because of what had almost happened in the alley but I knew better. I did this to her.  
  
Two weeks later, Usako showed up at the arcade and explained to me and the girls that she forgives us for what had happened but that she has decided to raise the baby on her own and that she has decided to quit being a senshi for the sake of our baby. The girls were shocked but they filed out of the booth to give us some privacy. She told me that I would always be welcome in the baby's life, but that she wasn't ready to get back together with me just yet. I told her I understood and that I would be there for her and the baby always. I asked her if she has some names picked out and she said that if it's a girl, she would name her Kura, after Detective Sato's daughter, who managed to charm her after a brief visit to her home. Detective Sato told her that the man who was about to rape her, Sakai Haru, was a monster who had raped 32 people, including 12 children under the age of 10. She said if the baby were a boy, she would name him Tori after her grandfather. She asked if the baby could have my last name even though we weren't married and I told her that I would be honoured.  
  
When she couldn't hide her pregnancy anymore, we confessed to her parents. Kenji-san was angry that we weren't going to be married and kicked Usako out of the house before storming out of the room. I offered to let her stay with me but she refused, saying that she had anticipated this moment so she called the Outers ahead and asked if she could stay with them in their mansion. I followed her to her room to help her pack and was surprised that she had already done so. I picked up her bags for her as she bade a tearful goodbye to her mother and brother. I drove her to her new home and was greeted with a stern-faced Haruka, who promptly slammed the door in my face once Usako was inside. A moment later, the door opened again and a sheepish-looking Usako stepped out and reminded me of her doctor's appointment later that week.  
  
The next few months, Usako was busy trying to get her life together. She studied hard to get her GED, signifying that she had completed high school early. She also got a part time job at the library reading books to children. I sent her cheques every month for her living expenses but she never spent them on herself, preferring to save them for the baby. We continued to live apart, only seeing each other when we have to go to doctor's appointments. We found out that the baby was a girl at her ultrasound and Usako decided to name her Chiba Kura. I couldn't think of a more fitting name.  
  
As for Yamada Yuko, the senshi found out that she was the mayor's assistant and have been following her ever since. One night, when Usako was seven and a half months pregnant, Rei, Mina and I, who had been watching Yamada's house noticed a portal, similar to the one Usagi used that night at the temple, opened up in Yamada's living room and an eerily familiar woman stepped out. She grabbed Yamada's throat and introduced herself as Metallion. Just as she began to merge with Yamada, I saw the black crystal hanging from her neck. Remembering Usagi's words, I threw a rose at the crystal, shattering it. Metallion screamed as she realized what had happened and died as she released her hold on Yamada, who had fainted. The girls and I lay her on the couch and left, removing any traces of our presence, including Metallion's corpse. We decided to burn her body in Rei's temple, hoping to exorcise any evil remaining, thus ending the threat that Usagi had warned us about.  
  
Usako had reconciled with her father in her eighth month of pregnancy when she proudly showed her parents the ultrasound pictures and video of their future granddaughter, although she continued to live in the Outers' mansion. When Usako went into labour, her mother and I were in the delivery room with her, supporting her. At first, the doctor wouldn't allow us both in there, but I 'explained' to him that I wasn't missing the birth of my child and Usako needed her mother there with her. In the end, the doctor saw things my way and let us stay, provided that we stay out of his way. My little Kura was born 29 grueling hours later. She was the most perfect baby I had ever seen, with her curly black hair and blue eyes, the perfect little angel. I know, I know. Every new father says that about his child, but in this case, I'm right. She smiled every time Usako and I held her in our arms, melting our hearts and making us fall in love with her.  
  
The girls cooed over her and fought over who got to hold her first. In the end, Haruka got the honour of being the first 'aunt' to hold little Kura. It was slightly surprising that a tomboy like Haruka-chan could be such a gentle person around a baby. When I teased her about her maternal instincts and her biological clock ticking, she quickly passed the baby on to Makoto, who happened to be standing beside her. Detective Sato and his children, Kura and her older brother Taishi, visited Usako a day later. Four year old Kura was delighted with her namesake and declared to the entire room, which included Usako and I, as well as Kenji-san, Ikuko-san and Shingo-kun, that she was now an aunt. We smiled fondly as she sung the baby to sleep before falling asleep herself on Usako's bed. Her father smiled and thanked us for letting them visit before picking up his sleeping daughter and herding his son out of the room. That was the last time I saw them, however, two years later, I was surprised and delighted to see a wedding announcement in the paper for Sato Ueda and Yamada Yuko.  
  
Kura and Usako continued to live in the Outers' mansion until Kura was about one and a half years old, when Usako had managed to save enough money from her job as a secretary for one of the top publishing companies in Japan and moved into an apartment building across from mine, making it even easier for me to visit Kura every weekend. It elated my heart every time I came over to pick up Kura for our weekend and she would toddle her way to me screaming, "Papa! Papa! Wuv you!" before I would scoop her up and toss her in the air, much to Usako's protests. Kura would just giggle and kiss me on the nose as she waves bye to her mother. "Bah mama, wuv you!"  
  
This all changed when one month before Kura's second birthday, Usako frantically called me up at work to tell me that she had to take Kura to the emergency room because she had a high fever, stiff neck and hadn't stopped vomiting since the night before. My heart stopped beating as I listened to her tick off Kura's symptoms. I rushed out of the lab I was working in, explaining to my boss that my child was terribly sick and in the hospital. When I arrived at the hospital, I was told that Kura had been taken to the pediatric intensive care unit on the sixth floor. As soon as I stepped out of the elevator, Usako rushed up to me in tears and told me that the doctors were still treating our baby and wouldn't tell her anything. I held her trembling form as I guided her to the waiting area, forming my own diagnosis. A few hours later, a tired doctor found us and told us that Kura came down with bacterial meningitis, confirming my beliefs, and would have died if she went untreated for another few hours, but that she was now receiving antibiotics to reduce the swelling in her spinal cord.  
  
For the next two and a half months, we watched our daughter battle to get better. My heart broke to see my little angel weak and pale on the bed, struggling for each breath, when she should have been running around outside, chasing Luna and Artemis in the park. Usako and I kept and almost constant vigil by her bedside. We used up all our vacation time and sick days during that period so that we could watch over her. Sadly, we had to celebrate Kura's second birthday in the hospital, but at least she was still around for us to celebrate her birthday at all.  
  
When Kura finally got better and was able to go home, I would call Usako everyday to find out how she was doing. Those daily phone calls turned to weekly lunches, which soon turned to every other day. Eventually we would get together as a family and have dinner once a month. Finally, after about five months, Usako and I officially started dating again, and although our dates usually included Kura, we didn't mind one bit. When Usako announced that she was pregnant three months later, I asked her and Kura to move in with me so that we could become a real family. Of course, Kenji-san didn't approve of our living together without getting married, but he could do nothing since Usako was already over eighteen.  
  
When our son Tori was three months old, Queen Serenity performed the ancient Lunarian wedding ceremony, witnessed by the senshi and the cats, that not only bound us together, but also the moon and earth's powers, creating a new age called the Crystal Millennium. Usako and I talked about our future together and have opted not to build Crystal Tokyo and rule the world in such a manner. We realized that we didn't want the Crystal Tokyo life; we preferred to live in anonymity, ruling the world even though no one knows about it. Usako and I decided not to get married in the eyes of the law because in our hearts and souls, we were already married. Our souls have been married since the first day I saw her sneaking around my gardens during the Silver Millennium. We refer to each other as husband and wife because that's what we are, and the lack of a marriage certificate isn't going to change that. In our minds, there couldn't be a more perfect wedding than the one Queen Serenity officiated underneath the full moon that night twelve years ago.  
  
As a result of our binding ceremony, the earth began to receive the moon's dormant powers and began turning into the utopian society the moon was thousands of years ago. The ozone layer began to repair itself at a fast rate, life expectancies became longer and slowly, peace began to fill the world. Scientists have attributed this radical change to the wonders of modern man, saying that because of their efforts to repair the damage done to the ozone layer, UV rays cannot harm humans anymore extending the lives of humans to an infinite amount of years. The peace that swept through the world was attributed to man's evolution to a higher form of intelligent life due to the extremely long lives that we are now leading. It still amuses me when I have to take out the garbage or do some other mundane task even though I am technically the king of the world, but I know that I wouldn't trade my life now for anything.  
  
I feel Usako stir beside me as she holds me tighter before waking up. I kiss her forehead as she stretches like a cat. Speaking of cats, Luna and Artemis have decided to revert to their human forms at our binding ceremony and are now married with two children.  
  
"Good morning Mamo-chan. Happy twelfth anniversary," she smiles sweetly, giving me a kiss on the lips.  
  
"Happy anniversary, Usako," scooting down so that I was now hovering over hear stomach, I whispered, "good morning Chibi-Usa. Today is a very special day because it's your mama and papa's 12th anniversary. It's only three and a half months before we all get to hold you in our arms. We can't wait." Placing my ear to Usako's stomach, I listen to Chibi-Usa's heartbeat before I place a kiss on it before getting back to my original position.  
  
Usako snuggled back into my arms and sighed happily. "Can you believe it's been twelve years since the binding ceremony? It seems like yesterday that Kura was just three years old and Tori was just a baby."  
  
I grinned. "I can't believe that Chibi-Usa is our sixth child and we're only in our thirties." Usako laughed heartily. It's true, Chibi-Usa is going to be our sixth child. Two years after we had Tori, Usako became pregnant with our twin boys, Kenji and Ryu and four years after that, our son Hiro. Today, my little Kura is now 15 years old, Tori is 12, Kenji and Ryu are 10 and Hiro is 6. To celebrate our anniversary, Usako and I took the kids to Hawaii, where we're staying at a guest house on the White Sands Resort for a whole month. Sometimes it pays to be the king and queen of the world. To the outside world, Usako is a famous author of children's stories while I'm an artist. Sometimes we collaborate on our projects where I illustrate her stories, or she writes a story about one of my paintings.  
  
"I still can't believe that my father is still mad at you for not legally marrying me despite having explained the binding ceremony to him-which he continues to denounce as 'new age nonsense' by the way- and having five children with one on the way," she teased as I stroked her swollen tummy, where Chibi-Usa has been residing for five and a half months. "He keeps asking me when I'll stop 'living in sin' and 'settle down' like all my other friends."  
  
"The other week he asked me when I'll make an 'honourable woman' out of you," I hooted. The two of us continued to laugh at poor Kenji's expense, but what he said was true. Not about us living in sin, but that the girls had all gotten married, even Hotaru, who was now 27 years old and happily married for 5 years. Out of all the girls, Usako and I have the largest family, with only Minako and Kyle, an American man who bears a striking resemblance to Kunzite she met while on a fashion shoot, coming in a distant second with three kids.  
  
Flashback  
  
Our rather large family has become the source of many jokes at our expense from the girls and their husbands. In fact, on my 35th birthday, Rei and her husband Jason made sure that all our kids were out of the room before slipping me a shoebox sized package. Seeing everyone's sly grins and knowing Jason's sense of humour, I opened the box cautiously, aiming the box away from my face. When nothing exploded, I peered in the box and was astonished to find condoms…lots of condoms.  
  
"Like them, Mamoru-kun?" Jason asked excitedly. Picking up one of the foil wrapped packets, he added, "see, it's not just a gift for you. It's for Usagi-chan too."  
  
Usako blushed furiously as she read 'Ribbed for her pleasure' on the wrapper while I laughed good-naturedly. "How many did you give me?"  
  
Haruka grinned wolfishly. "365. One for everyday of the year. Of course, with you guys, I'm willing to bet they'll get used up within six months."  
  
Usako groaned as she buried her face in my shoulder. Rei grinned. "She sure lives up to her name eh, Mamoru?" Everyone howled with laughter as Usako stuck her tongue out at Rei, blowing her a raspberry.  
  
End flashback  
  
As Haruka predicted, Usako and I had used up the condoms within four months. With a wife like mine, who can resist making love to her more than once a day? I find it kind of ironic that Chibi-Usa was conceived when one of those condoms broke while we were making love in a broom closet during Kenji-san's retirement party taking place in a hotel ballroom in Tokyo. It was hard to maneuver in that tiny closet in Usako's floor length evening gown and my tuxedo, but with five kids, we were experienced in making love in the most extreme conditions. Luckily for us, the loud music drowned out Usako's screams of pleasure.  
  
I move my hands from Usako's stomach to her breasts, stocking them to arousal. We kiss hungrily, knowing that with the arrival of Chibi-Usa, our family would finally be complete. I flip us both over so that Usako is on top to ease the burden on her stomach.  
  
"Yes, Mamo-chan!" Usako cries out as I continue to fondle her nipples with my hands. Just as Usako was about to lower herself on me, a sharp knock on the door startled us.  
  
"Hey Mamo-chan, Usako! Sorry to interrupt but breakfast is ready and we're hungry!" our son Kenji called out from the other side of the door. We could hear his laughter fade away as he walked back to the breakfast room.  
  
Grumbling about bad timing and rude children, Usako and I got dressed in our discarded nightclothes and put on our robes. I don't know why we bother to sleep clothed because we can never seem to keep them on the whole night anyway. We made our way to the breakfast room overlooking the beach and was startled to find a large banner that read "Happy Anniversary" draped above the window.  
  
"SURPRISE!" our children yelled. "HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!"  
  
I smiled as Usako started to cry. Our youngest, Hiro, was startled to find his mother crying. "What's wrong, mama? Don't you like our surprise?" he asked in an injured tone.  
  
Usako bent down and embraced Hiro in a huge hug. "Of course I love it, baby! But you know what I love more?"  
  
"What mama?"  
  
"All of you. Come here," she opened up her arms and all the children ran up to us and gave us a hug.  
  
"Sit down Papa, we made breakfast for you and mama!" chirped Kura. Could this teenager really be the tiny little girl I cradled in my arms fifteen years ago? Shaking my head at the passing of time, I reached over and fondly kissed Kura on the forehead.  
  
"If you cook anything like your mother does, I'm sure it'll be…edible," I teased.  
  
Both women looked affronted as they simultaneously said "Hey!" before smacking me on the shoulders.  
  
We ate a wonderful breakfast with each child bragging to their mother and I about what they cooked for us. Kenji, taking after his grandfather and namesake, loudly boasted about the coffee he made for me, urging me to take a sip. Put on the spot, I tentatively picked up my mug of black sludge and warily took a sip. Not wanting to disappoint Kenji, who obviously worked hard on the coffee, I swallowed the gritty concoction and forced a smile.  
  
"Best coffee I've ever had. Thanks son," I said weakly, as Ken beamed proudly and Usako and Kura tried to hide their grins.  
  
Ryu, the quieter one of the twins, handed Usako a glass of orange juice. "Here mama. I made this myself. I heard that pregnant women need to drink a lot of folic acid and I know that orange juice has a lot of that."  
  
Usako's eyes misted over. "Thank you, sweet pea," she said as she took a sip. "Wow, Ryu-chan. That's the best orange juice I've ever had," she added sincerely. Ryu smiled shyly as he continued to eat his eggs. "What about you, Tori? What did you make?"  
  
Tori grinned in the way I used to grin at his mother when she was about Kura's age and I wanted her to stop ignoring me. I can already tell that at 12 years of age, my oldest son is going to be a heartbreaker. "Well, since I inherited your cooking skills mama, I decided to just make the sign. But I did help Hiro make the toast."  
  
Usako pretended to look at Hiro in shock. "YOU made the toast, sweetheart? Why, it's the best toast I've ever had. It even beats your Aunt Makoto's."  
  
"Oh yeah? I helped butter them," added Kenji, not wanting to be left out of his mother's praises.  
  
"You did a great job, Kenji. The way you spread the butter so evenly makes me wonder if I should just designate you the official family toast maker," Usako said, her eyes twinkling.  
  
Kenji's eyes grew round as saucers as he tried to back out of the hole he dug for himself. "Uh, that's okay mama. Hiro did most of the work."  
  
"What did you make, angel?" I asked Kura, who rolled her eyes in mock exasperation at her little brothers.  
  
"Everything that's edible. I made the eggs, pancakes, bacon and sausage. I swear mama, I can't wait until Chibi-Usa is born so that things even up just a little in this family."  
  
Usako and I smile and roll our eyes at our daughter's dramatics. After the dishes had been cleared, we all decided to head to the beach for the rest of the morning.  
  
"Kenji! Get back here! You know you're not supposed to go swimming only fifteen minutes after you eat!" yelled Usako, snatching our energetic son from the water. Kenji pouted, a trait that he has picked up from his mother, until Ryu convinced him to help them make a sand castle.  
  
"I swear, that boy is a handful," Usako grumbled as she eased herself on the beach towel. I find myself staring in awe of my beautiful Usako as she places a hand instinctively on her round belly. "What are you staring at, Mamo-chan?"  
  
"You. Do you know that you get more beautiful every day that you're pregnant?" I said as I leaned over and kissed her passionately.  
  
Usako's eyes were glazed when I pulled away. She giggled coyly, acting like the innocent school girl I knew she wasn't and never was when it came to our sex life. "You sweet talker you. Keep that up, and my father might just chase you through town with his shotgun."  
  
I kissed my way to her ear where I began to suck on her earlobe, earning a low moan from her. "I think it's worth it."  
  
We both look up as we heard gagging sounds coming a few feet away from us. Kenji and Tori were pretending to stick their fingers down their throats and gagging. "Please you guys, keep it to yourselves! For Kami's sake, there are children here!"  
  
"If we had 'kept it to ourselves,' you children wouldn't be here," I mumbled as Usako giggled. We just sat back and relaxed in each other's arms as we watched our children play in the sand and surf. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a teenage boy approach my daughter. I immediately sat up and watched as he continued to flirt with my little girl. Usako opened one eye when she heard me growl menacingly.  
  
"What's wrong, Mamo-chan?"  
  
"That…that punk kid is trying to put the moves on our little girl." Usako peered in Kura's direction and smiled fondly.  
  
"He reminds me of you, baby. Look at his dark brown hair and dark blue eyes."  
  
"WHAT?! How dare you put that little weasel in the same category as me? I KNEW I shouldn't have let her out of the house in that bikini. Why didn't you stop me?" I start to rise when I saw that kid brush some hair from Kura's face. I look down when I felt a firm grip on my wrist. "Usako, let me go."  
  
"MAMO-CHAN! She's fifteen, for Kami's sake! Don't you remember that I was only FOURTEEN when we first started going out?"  
  
"That's different."  
  
"How is that different?"  
  
"We were meant to be. I had nothing but the best intentions for you. Who knows what this punk is capable of?" I sigh with relief when I see the boy walking away and Kura looking dreamily after him.  
  
"Oh how the tables have turned. Isn't this how my father reacted when we first started going out?" Usako teased. I said nothing in reply and sulked. A few minutes later, Hiro walked up to our blanket, clutching something in his hand.  
  
"Mama, Papa, I lost a tooth." He smiled at us, revealing the gap between his front teeth.  
  
Usako kissed his forehead comfortingly. "Don't worry, baby. The tooth fairy will come and give you some money if you put it under your pillow tonight." Hiro gave the tooth to his mother for safe keeping and settled down between us.  
  
"I'm sleepy mama. Can I sleep here with you, papa and Chibi-Usa?"  
  
I smile as Hiro referred to his unborn sister as if she were already here. "Of course, son. Here's a towel you can use for a pillow," I said as I placed a rolled up towel under his head. He was asleep after a few minutes. Usako stroked his hair, smiling lovingly at him as he breathed softly in his sleep.  
  
"He's so sweet, Mamo-chan. Don't you wish he would stay like this forever? All our babies are growing up so fast," she sighed wistfully.  
  
"Don't worry, Usako. We still have Chibi-Usa to think about."  
  
"I can't wait for tonight, Mamo-chan. Do you think the kids suspect something?"  
  
"Nah. They're too busy having fun to think about the surprise we have in store for them later on."  
  
"I hope you're right."  
  
"I'm always right," I said smugly and she hit me playfully upside the head.  
  
We decided to eat lunch in the restaurant located in the resort's main building. We had a great time laughing about how Tori left Kenji buried up to his neck in sand for twenty minutes while he went swimming, and how Hiro, who had been playing with his loose tooth with his tongue, sneezed the tooth out and hit Ryu in the face with it. To my chagrin, the boys started teasing Kura about the boy she was talking to, who admitted that he gave her his number, but upon seeing my face, hurriedly explained that she wasn't going to call him any time soon.  
  
"Why don't you two go have some alone time while Tori and I take care of the twins and Hiro?" Kura offered. Usako and I looked at each other and silently debated whether or not to let Kura take care of four children on her own. "Think of this as another anniversary present."  
  
After a moment's hesitation, Usako said, "alright Kura. But don't let them out of your sight, especially Kenji."  
  
"HEY!" yelled the offended little boy.  
  
"I just meant that you mean so much to me that it would hurt me if you got lost, sweet cheeks," appeased Usako. "Please meet us at the gazebo near the house at five thirty. Dress semi-formally."  
  
"Why the gazebo, mama?" Kura asked.  
  
"Because your father and I have something special planned for our anniversary this year and we want you kids to be there with us. Promise me you'll have the kids ready and at the gazebo by five thirty."  
  
"I promise, mama."  
  
As we went our separate ways, Usako and I overheard Kenji say to Tori, "I bet they're just going to go back to the house to do it again."  
  
Tori snorted in response. "That's why there's so many of us."  
  
"Wise guys," Usako murmured under her breath. We hurried back to the house where we proceeded to make love just as our sons had predicted. We spent the rest of the afternoon in bed, sometimes making love hard and fast- our preferred method-and sometimes slow and teasing, and other times just talking about our lives and what we had planned for tonight. We dozed off in between our lovemaking before finally rising at quarter to five to take a shower together. Upon stepping out of the shower, Usako changed into a white sleeveless sundress and arranged her hair in a simple bun, adorning it with white orchids. I changed into a pair of beige khakis, a white tank top and a cotton button down shirt which I left open. Together, we walked barefoot hand in hand to the gazebo to oversee the preparations and to await our children's arrival.  
  
True to her word, Kura had all the kids washed, changed and at the gazebo in one peace at exactly five thirty. By then, the hotel staff had arranged tiny white Christmas lights all around the gazebo and a string quartet to play soft music in the background. A white cotton runner stretched out over the sand, acting as a runway from the path to the gazebo steps.  
  
"What's going on?" the children asked themselves, apparently not noticing us standing behind them. Usako cleared her throat, causing the children to jump in surprise. They whirled around and faced us.  
  
"Oh mama! You look so beautiful," breathed Kura.  
  
"Hey, what about me?" I asked, pretending to be hurt. Kura giggled and kissed me on the cheek.  
  
"You look very handsome too, papa. What's going on?"  
  
Usako smiled. "We're getting married and we want you to be our witnesses."  
  
"Married? How come you never told us?" Tori asked incredulously.  
  
"We've been planning this night ever since your father and I found out that I was pregnant with Chibi-Usa. Your father proposed to me that night and I decided to wait until our anniversary so that we could celebrate both our weddings on the same day. Plus, we wanted to surprise you."  
  
Kura had tears in her eyes. "Oh mama! This is wonderful. We're going to be a real family, at last!"  
  
"Yeah papa. Now grandpa won't be so mad at you anymore," teased Kenji as we laughed.  
  
Usako turned to Kura. "Honey, I have a favour to ask you."  
  
Kura sniffled and smiled. "What is it mama?"  
  
"Would you be my bridesmaid? There is nobody I would like better than…" Usako was cut off as Kura leapt into her arms.  
  
"Of course I'll be your bridesmaid! Thank you mama!"  
  
"You're welcome, baby. Here's your bouquet," Usako said, handing her a smaller version of her white roses and orchids bouquet.  
  
I turned to Tori. "Son, would you be my best man?"  
  
"Sure papa. Wouldn't have it any other way."  
  
Turning to the twins, I asked, "could you boys walk your mother down the aisle?" They nodded eagerly. For once, Kenji was rendered speechless.  
  
I felt a tugging on my shirt. "What about me, papa?" asked Hiro.  
  
I picked him up and handed him the simple platinum bands that Usako and I will wear on top of the other rings we've been using since the binding ceremony. "You, my boy, will be the ring bearer. Your job is to walk in front of your sister and your brothers and mama and stand beside me and Tori when you're done. When the minister asks for the rings, you give them to Tori, okay?"  
  
"I get to walk first?"  
  
I nodded.  
  
"Cool."  
  
And so, Tori and I took our places in the gazebo while Usako and the rest of the children waited around the bend for the music to cue them. As the music started, Hiro walked down the carpeted path followed by the teary eyed Kura. I watched with growing anticipation as the music changed to the familiar strains of the "Wedding March." My heart started to beat faster as I saw Usako make her way to the gazebo barefoot, escorted with a twin on each arm. When she finally reached her place by my side, she passed her bouquet off to Kura and gave me a bright smile.  
  
The minister began the ceremony serenaded by the waves crashing on the shore not far from where we stood. As we exchanged our vows, tears fell from our eyes, knowing that we did the right thing by waiting until this perfect moment to have our wedding.  
  
"I, Tsukino Usagi Serenity, take you Chiba Mamoru Endymion as my lawfully wedded husband," Usako said, smiling at the 'lawfully wedded' part, "to have and to hold, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, as long as we both shall live."  
  
"I, Chiba Mamoru Endymion, take you Tsukino Usagi Serenity as my lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, as long as we both shall live," I repeated as I felt tears fall from my eyes. Usako reached up and wiped them away.  
  
We were lost in each other's eyes as the minister blessed our union. Before we knew it, we had finished exchanging rings and we were pronounced husband and wife. I looked at the minister expectantly and he nodded. Stroking Usako's cheek with my finger, I tilted her face up to mine and kissed her tenderly. The children applauded and Kenji hooted with glee. Laughing, Usako and I led the kids to the table set up in a tent where our reception dinner will be served. We posed for pictures taken by the photographer we hired to capture the wedding on film outside the tent. Inside, we were served with a delicious seven course dinner, including salmon sashimi for starters, prime rib with garlic mashed potatoes and gravy for the main course, and a strawberry shortcake for dessert.  
  
To our surprise, Tori stood up with his water goblet held high. "May I propose a toast? I just want to congratulate our parents for getting married tonight on the twelfth anniversary of their Lunarian wedding. Even though some people don't like the fact that they never got married legally, I could never ask for a better family or better parents. We love each other with all our hearts, and it is thanks to our parents that we have learned what to look for in a life partner. A marriage isn't about signing a piece of paper and having a ring on your finger. It's about finding someone you love with all your heart and never letting go, in spite of all the obstacles in your way. Our parents taught us that love is the only voice we should follow, and so far, they have been doing a great job. So here's to you, mama and papa; may we also find the love that you two share in abundance. Cheers!"  
  
"CHEERS!" We repeated as we clinked our glasses together. Usako stood up and hugged Tori very tightly, tears of joy and pride streaming down her face while Tori blushed sheepishly.  
  
When it came time to turn in, we walked the children to the main building where we set them up for three days in their own rooms so that we could have private time. I carried a sleeping Hiro into the room he was going to share with Kura and said goodnight.  
  
"Papa?" whispered Kura as I turned to leave.  
  
"Yes sweetie?"  
  
"Thank you for tonight. I will never forget this for as long as I live. You and mama showed me exactly what I want in a marriage and now I know what to look for in a perfect husband and life. And although grandpa doesn't think so, I think you and mama make the perfect role models on how to make a marriage work. I love you papa," she concluded.  
  
I felt tears prick my eyes. For the first time, I truly felt like the man I was meant to be. "Thank you sweetie, I love you too."  
  
"Oh and papa? Take care of her; she's something special," Kura winked as she gave me a hug and a kiss goodnight.  
  
"You bet, honey. Your mama is the most special lady in the world."  
  
Back at the beach house, Usako and I danced to the tune of the crickets chirping in the grass and the ocean in the distance.  
  
"I'm so happy, Mamo-chan. I never thought I could be happier than I have ever been since Kura was born but now I know that's not true," Usako said as I held her in my arms.  
  
I kissed her forehead as I watched the starts twinkle in the sky. Not knowing what else to say that would prove to her the depth of my feelings for her, I said the only thing that came to mind. "I love you Usako, my beautiful bride."  
  
"I love you Mamo-chan, my wonderful husband."  
  
And with that, Usako and I went into the house where we made love for the first time as a married couple, and certainly not for the last. Our dreams have come true. We have beautiful and wonderful children, our relationship was stronger now than it had ever been and we literally ruled the world. What more could I ask for? Wrapping my arms around my sleeping wife, I kissed her shoulder and closed my eyes for the night, dreaming about the years to come.  
  
The End  
  
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So, that's the end of my little story. Please take the time to review this chapter and the story in general. You wouldn't believe how many revisions to the story I had in mind, including one where Serena and Mamoru fall in love while on the run from Metallion and Usagi dies closing the portal, leaving them to build Crystal Tokyo together, but then I realized, nah. It's Usagi and Mamoru all the way!  
  
Thanks again for sticking with this story and for all those who reviewed. Stay tuned for my new story, probably coming up within the week. This is crystal rose, signing off. 


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